A Second Chance
by Tiro
Summary: Harry Potter never went to his mother's relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it. Rated M for violence in some chapters.
1. Chapter 0

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Hope that covered everything.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Prologue **

Privet Drive Four was a quiet, ordinary street with perfectly normal people. And since they were perfectly normal people with perfectly normal lives and perfectly normal homes, they were of course asleep as it was late at night. However, there were two people walking the street who certainly were not of the normal kind.

"They are the worst kind of Muggles you can ever meet, Albus!"

"Now, now, Minerva, let's not get upset. Harry will be safe with them…"

"Safe? Safe? They are monsters! They will never take care of him, they will never see him as their own child!"

"Minerva, you will wake him up."

"Shouldn't you've waited until the will was read?"

"Well, I know James and Lily. Either they have put Sirius or Remus as Harry's caretakers and since neither are fit to it…"

"We will wait until the will is read!"

Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sighed and looked at the stern-looking woman who by now was red in her face, and her pointed hat was bent awkwardly. The child in his arms stirred but did not wake up.

"He will be with the Dursleys until the will is read," Dumbledore finally said. Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as well as the school's Transfiguration teacher, looked at him for a while with her jaws clenched, and nodded shortly after a long silence.

The headmaster happily went and put down the small child on the doorstep. Quickly he wrote a letter and placed it on Harry's chest.

"Sleep well now," he said quietly to the child. "You will be fine here."

-o-

**Two days later**

McGonagall shifted where she sat. Truth to be told, she had never wanted to leave Harry there with the Muggles but the headmaster had given her no choice. She glanced over at said man and saw he was happily sucking on one of his lemon-drops as they waited for the will to start. There were some other people there, mainly from the Order as they had been requested to come but there was one person the stern-looking witch had not figure out who it was. The man, or woman, was sitting at the far back with a black cloak hiding everything. She wondered how he was connected to it all, to James and to Lily. It could not possible be-

The old goblin hawked, interrupted her thinking and said:

"As everyone has arrived, I will begin reading the will."

Everyone stilled. The goblin looked over at them all, rolled open a parchment and began reading:

"This will is created by James and Lily Potter, and is absolute. If we give everything to the Ministry, we give everything to the Ministry. No one can interfere.

"First of all, we will one thousand Galleons to Sirius Black, and wish him to buy many toys for our Prongslet. As Mr Black is not present, the money will be sent to his vault."

Many looked flabbergasted at this; was the goblin not aware that it had been Sirius who had betrayed the Potters? He should be ashamed of himself for letting that murderer have any money at all!

"We will another thousand Galleons to Remus Lupin, hoping he will buy some bloody new robes."

Remus almost looked like he was going to start crying again, but it seemed like the tears finally had stopped for him as he merely ducked his head and sniffed a bit.

"After this, the will of the rest of our things will be read," the goblin said. "I, James Potter, will personally read this."

The old goblin gently took up a glass orb, placed it on the desk and tapped it twice on the top with his finger. Immediately the voice of the now dead James Potter rang out:

"My name is James Potter and this is my and Lily's true will; the guardianship of our son, Harry James Potter."

This was the moment they all had waited for. Who would little Harry be with? Should he go to the Dursleys, Lily's Muggle relatives? Had he been appointed to either Remus or Sirius it had to be stopped; Sirius was in Azkaban and Remus was unfit to take care of a child. Could it be that they had appointed a good Light family to have the honours? Maybe even Dumbledore himself?

"The choice was simple," James' voice said. "However, convincing said man was easier said than done. I hope you are attending this will, you lazy ass. I'm talking about Diablos Potter."

Silence as horrified looks showed on some people faces, Dumbledore included. He was turning white in anger; that man should not be allowed into England!

"Yes, Diablos Potter," the voice continued. "I know we weren't the closest brothers in this world, but we weren't enemies either. Not after your last year at Hogwarts. No time to talk about old times, though. Diablos, I ask of you as my brother to take care of my son."

The silence only was for a few moments before half of the Phoenix-Order started shouting. The goblin held its' hand up and pointed at the orb. They silenced. James' voice came back:

"You will also be given all of our vaults and houses as well as the honour title of Head of Potter House. Take care of our Prongslet, let Paddy and Moony visit often and don't snap at them. I wish you luck, and say hello to all the lads in Rome!"

The will ended and the goblin spoke up:

"Mr Potter? If you would come to the front, please."

The figure in the shadows stepped up, pale hands coming up to pull the hood back. Diablos Potter slowly walked up, his raven hair making his face look white and his eyes red like a devil's. The old creature gave him a quill and said:

"Sign your name here and we will arrange everything."

If looks could kill, Diablos would have died a few dozen times. He signed the parchment and said out loud:

"Where's Harry?"

"He is with the Dursley family," the goblin supplied. "Professor Dumbledore saw it fit to let him be there until the outcome of the will."

The man turned slowly and looked at the headmaster. The lips turned into a sneer and even the headmaster leaned back as the young man spoke, voice full with hatred:

"You placed my nephew with magic-hating Muggles?"

"Don't speak of things you don't know now, my boy…"

"Call me boy again and I'll slit your throat."

Diablos left the next moment and the dumb-founded Order just sat there. No one noticed the smirk the goblin had.

-o-

A knock on the door made Petunia sigh. She saw Harry reaching towards one of Dudley's toys and gripped the child's arm, hard.

"Don't touch that, freak!" she hissed and dragged him away. "Sit quiet, here and don't move one inch!"

Harry's wide eyes stared right back at her, fear evident in them. She ignored her nephew and went to get the door. She had not asked for him, she did not have to be nice to him. She opened the door and froze. Her mouth opened and closed.

"What's wrong, Petunia dear?" Diablos said. "Don't recognize me?"

"You!" she finally got out. "Get away from here! We want nothing to do with you freaks!"

"I'm here for Harry," the man continued, his red-tainted eyes darting to look over her shoulder. "Then I'll be off and never return."

She narrowed her eyes and looked at what she felt was the son of the devil. She was convinced his real parents thought the same, naming him like that. He was a danger. Yes, all too dangerous. You could even call him slightly crazy. But he had never lied to her. He had told her the painful truth and never hid his disgust against her with pretty words. However much she hated him he was the only person who had been completely honest with her. And he said he came for the boy, he came for the boy.

"Fine," she finally said. "Get the boy."

He stepped in without thanking her, but the Muggle woman never expected him to. Diablos soon found Harry and crouched down. Curiosity filled those emerald eyes and Diablos said:

"Hello, Harry. I doubt you remember me, but I'm your uncle."

"Un…cle?" Harry seemed proud he managed saying the word.

"Yes, uncle. Your mother and father are gone, and they said they wanted me to take care of you. Will you let me?"

He stretched out a hand to the child, who happily took it. Diablos picked the boy up and turned around to see Petunia. They stared at each other for a while, Harry in the wizard's arms while Dudley in the Muggle's arms.

"Get out," she said tiredly.

"With pleasure, madam", he said with a mock bow and moved out.

"Diablos?"

He turned to look at Petunia. She silently handed him a blanket. It was comfortably worn, and protected by magic.

"What is this?" he asked.

"The blanket the boy had," she said. "It says James Potter on it."

He clutched the blanket in his hand, and left with one last glance. Petunia sighed, and closed the door as Dudley wanted her attention.

-o-

**Rome, Italy**

"Oh, you're back Diab—huh? What's that?"

Diablos looked irritably at his fellow worker Salerna Maga. The wizard was tall, a head taller than Diablos with white hair and violet eyes, working as a teacher for the Aurors in endurance and flexibility.

"It's a child, Salerna," he said slowly, as if Salerna did not know what a child was.

"I know what a child is, brat. But who's is it?" the man asked, wide-eyed. "You don't have any kids."

"My brother had."

"And?" Salerna knew Diablos' brother had a child, but it could not possible be the child. Right?

"Now the child is with me."

"Why?" Somehow, Salerna was dreading the answer.

"Because my brother's dead."

The older wizard stared at his fellow colleague. He knew that Diablos did not smile, did not show any kind of emotions in front of anybody. But the blank face he kept on even as he told Salerna his brother was dead was disturbing. Diablos blinked at the now silent man and said:

"I'm going to take the rest of the day off. Harry needs to get familiar to his new surroundings."

"Are you alright? I mean, he was your brother…"

"If I'm alright? Don't know actually, but it doesn't feel any different."

Salerna stared at him.

"I'm going," the man with red-tainted eyes said and held the happily gurgling child a bit closer than before. The older wizard noticed, and wondered if the child could make Diablos more human.

Tbc…

* * *

Prologue done! Short but this is just the beginning. This I think will be a long-time fic.

Chapter one: How will Harry react on his more or less emotionless uncle? Will he succeed making Diablos smile?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	2. Chapter 1

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

Thanks for the reviews! Chapter one for you guys!

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Chapter One**

**Harry's POV**

Harry was not sure if he liked the Portkey. He certainly made a show of a lot of unknown babbling, and he felt his uncle's eyes on him. He gurgled one last time, looking up at the man. His uncle's eyes were red and blue in a strange mixture, but Harry did not feel afraid. After all, this man had taken him away from the other ones that had been very mean. He was glad he did not have to stay there any longer; they had called him bad names and made him sleep in a very dark place.

"Alright," the man said and the boy snapped to attention. "Look; this is my home. This will be your home as well from now on. Do you remember the man with white hair we met?"

Harry nodded, gurgling all along.

"His name is Salerna and he likes to visit. His wife loves kids, so I'm sure we're going to see a lot from them," the man said. "I do hope you remember my name."

"Dia… a… blos." Well, it was not the easiest names Harry had stumbled upon, and he was only a child after all.

"Have to work on putting that together into my name, but satisfying."

The man began to walk and Harry twisted to see where. The boy's mouth fell open. The man had said home; it looked like a castle to Harry. The boy babbled on as the man walked down the big hall while nodding along the boy's gurgling. Harry smiled up at his new guardian, and laughed childishly as he saw a hint of a smile flash onto that stony face.

-o-

**Normal POV**

Diablos talked slowly, stopping as he pointed out things at his new charge before finally reaching a suitable room for the child. He transformed an ink bottle into a crib and put down James' old blanket there. He sat down on the bed and sighed as Harry bounced on his lap, the child happily babbling. The wizard looked around the room and began banishing things that could be dangerous for a one and a half-year old child.

When he finished, he sat and stared at the emerald-eyed boy for a long time.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" he asked.

The boy cooked his head, and then opened his mouth.

"Huh?"

As on cue, Harry's stomach rumbled and he opened his mouth again.

"Aha… You're hungry."

Harry squealed.

"Merlin, was I like this as a child?"

-o-

Diablos stared into the fire for a long time, sitting in his living-room with a glass of wine in his delicate hand. He had finally gotten Harry to bed, but it was now his problems began. How was he supposed to take care of a child? He had never done that before! Not to mention he had rarely been allowed to be alone with his nephew, and he had not shown any great skills in taking care of the boy. Why James had entrusted Harry to him he was not entirely sure of.

The man sighed and the fire flared. Salerna stepped inside and smiled. Diablos simply looked as usual.

"How's the cutie?" Salerna asked. "My wife wants to see him."

"Figures," the younger one muttered. "How am I supposed to take care of him?"

"My wife can take care of him while you work," the white-haired man said and sat down. He then gestured at the wine and said, "May I have some?"

"Be my guest."

"I'm sure she will love it," Salerna continued as he poured a glass of wine to himself. "What's the kid's name?"

"Harry. I already said it once."

"Did you now?" the man mused as he leaned back into the chair. "How is he?"

"Quiet, and well-behaved," the wizard said. "He likes to babble though. I don't get a word what he's saying."

"Every kid loves to babble and the point is you're not supposed to get it," Salerna said. "Where is he?"

"Asleep."

"Alone?"

"I have a charm that will tell me if he wakes up."

Salerna looked at his younger co-worker with a smug smile. Diablos merely raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he finally snapped out.

"You seem like quite a parent," the white-haired man said. "You sure you aren't the father?"

"Do you have a death wish?"

"Alright, alright don't get so upset… how do you say that my wife looks after Harry, then?"

"Sounds good, but I'm going to take a few days off to let Harry adjust to me and the house, as well as meeting your wife."

"Sure thing. How many days off?"

"A week perhaps."

"A week? Diablos, you can take out vacation for almost two years! Take two weeks for Merlin's sake!"

Diablos shrugged and downed the wine.

"Have you eaten anything?" Salerna asked.

"Yes," Diablos replied. "I'm not stupid enough to drink on empty stomach."

"You did that before."

"I was young, and wanted to get drunk."

"Why?"

"So I could pretend that I wasn't hated by my parents."

'How does every damn conversation come down to this?' Salerna thought with a wince.

"Your parents did not hate you, Diablos," the wizard said.

"I'm talking about my real parents," Diablos said. "They left me on the street."

"They had a reason, like everything has a reason." 'Even if the reason sucks,' he added silently in his head.

Diablos just looked at him. Salerna rose up and said:

"Alright, I'll talk to the boss tomorrow. And one advice."

"What?"

"Sleep in the same room as Harry."

Diablos looked at the fire after Salerna had disappeared. Then he groaned, an unusual display of emotions and mumbled:

"I definitely need some books about parenting."

-o-

He fell down on the bed an hour later and sighed. Harry's quiet breathing was the only sound he heard. The man closed his eyes and fell asleep, hoping he would not be woken up.

Day one passed with a lot of Harry-gurgling and Diablos-sighing. However, the next day they had planned to get Harry new clothes and some toys. Therefore, Diablos was awoken by a poke to his cheek early in the morning. He tiredly opened his yes and swatted Salerna's hand away. Said man chuckled at the younger wizard and said:

"Come on now. You're going to need things for Harry, and I took the day off. Cissi wanted to meet him already."

Diablos dragged himself up, and Salerna chuckled again. It was in the mornings that Diablos seemed to have released all the walls he had on his emotions and truly let them out. Once the man had disappeared into the bathroom, the real Diablos would disappear behind the usual walls in his mind. The white-haired man therefore delayed the younger one as much as he could. Harry looked on from his crib, his emerald eyes wide at his uncle's strange behaviour.

Salerna jumped down on the bed and dragged Diablos down with him with a grin towards the child, who gaped as the younger wizard just went down with the white-haired man. The man looked at Salerna with tired red-tainted eyes and said man smiled, stroking back the raven hair so he could get a good look at Diablos. The younger man was apparently not aware he was lying half-upon his colleague for a few minutes, just being content resting. But after some ten minutes he began waking up and pushed away. Salerna grinned, feeling evil, and did not let him go. After much struggling, kicking and punching, the Potter could finally get to the bathroom. Salerna however only smiled; it was always worth every bruise and cut he got to see Diablos for who he was.

Harry gurgled at him and the white-haired man looked at the child. He got up and walked to the crib. He easily lifted the boy up and said:

"Should we go and say hello to Cissi?"

-o-

Cissi was very glad when Diablos let her do the clothing shopping for the youngest Potter, with the only promise with normal-coloured clothes, or else he would kindly throttle her. She set of with Harry bouncing on her hip as Diablos escaped into a bookstore with Salerna on his heels.

They were currently located in a small wizard village in north of Italy, not wanting to go into the centre of the wizard community in Rome since Harry was still not so comfortable around people. Well, not as uncomfortable as his uncle was. Salerna had the feeling Diablos needed more training in that area than Harry. But for now they were in a smaller place. This village also happened to be where Salerna's wife, Cissi, had grown up so she knew a lot of the people.

The Potter bought some books about parent-hood and having a child while Salerna checked out the section with Auror training.

They were both teachers in the Auror School in Italy and Diablos was one of the youngest instructors. Diablos handled the area about Dark and Black Arts as well about Blood Magic. He was also a healer, and volunteered to help out at the hospital in Rome.

"Finished?"

Diablos turned to look at Salerna and nodded. They went and paid before leaving to see if Cissi was done. To their relief, she was. However, she looked a bit baffled.

"What's wrong, dear?" Salerna said.

"He keeps saying Diablos," the woman said, trying to hold the squirming child in her arms still. "He was okay the first few minutes, but then he wanted back to you, Diablos."

The younger man's face was priceless, before Harry stretched out his hands and declared:

"Diablos!"

The man with red-tainted eyes dumbly reached out and took the boy into his arms. His eyes showed his surprise and Salerna laughed. Cissi smiled at them and said:

"Seems like he really likes you."

Diablos blinked and looked up at the woman. She merely winked at him and the two began walking. Harry began to babble and grabbed his uncle's hair. Diablos winced slightly, tugging his hair away and finally hurried off to catch up with the two elder people. That was the first time that Salerna had seen Diablos speechless.

-o-

Harry really liked his new uncle, but why was the man not smiling? Had he done something freakish as his aunt always had said during those few days he had been there? Harry did not like that; he did not want to upset his new guardian. Therefore, he decided to not tell Diablos that he felt slightly ill. His throat was itching, and he felt a bit warm. But he should not bug his uncle. He should not upset him.

The boy looked on groggily as Diablos wrote on a parchment. Said man looked up at Harry, saw his cheeks were a bit flushed and said:

"Is something wrong?"

Harry shook his head, saying he was fine. The raven-haired man frowned a bit but let it go. He bent over the parchment once more and was soon engrossed in it. Meanwhile, Harry looked around from his place in the crib and clutched his blanket closer. His throat was really hurting by now, and he had a headache so he wanted to say to Diablos he was ill. But his uncle looked so stressed already…

A harsh cough broke through and Diablos looked up. Harry coughed apologetically and the man got up. He lifted the boy up and massaged the throat gently. The boy sighed in relief as healing magic soothed his pain, and his guardian frowned again. Diablos walked out from the office and got to his rooms, where he kept most potions. He plucked out a Fever reducer and a spoon. Harry eyed the potion warily, not liking unknown liquid and Diablos said:

"You have a fever, and no doubt a headache on top of that. This is a Fever reducer, and it will ease your headache and your cough. I promise, okay? Open your mouth."

The boy in his arms looked at the potion for a while, then obeyed and opened his mouth. He swallowed the potion as quickly he could and the headache soon disappeared just like his uncle had said. He smiled brightly but Diablos said:

"It's not over yet. You need to take it tonight as well."

Harry stuck out his tongue.

-o-

"Are you frustrated?" Salerna asked in surprise.

"They can't even see the difference between the effects of a basic hex and Crucio!" Diablos almost screamed, pacing back and forth. His hair was messier than usual, and his eyes were almost completely red. "How am I supposed to make them get it when they won't even listen to me? Merlin, I could strangle them!"

The white-haired man had a bad feeling as he watched his friend pace. Harry was with Cissi while Diablos had been back for a few days. The man had cleared gotten too little sleep, and the stress of being a parent was wearing him down, since Diablos sometimes forgot to even take care of himself. Salerna was broken from his musings when he noticed that the raven-haired man had stopped, and his eyes widened as he saw the frantic heaving of the younger man's chest.

"Whoa, calm down," Salerna said, got up and seized Diablos' shoulders. "You're hyperventilating, Diablos, take a deep breath. Come on, a deep breath."

Diablos found himself doing that and calmed down, wearily closing his eyes. The older man gently pulled Diablos close and said:

"Oh fuck, you are actually pissed."

"You're swearing," came the younger man's muffled words.

"I know," Salerna said, "but I've never seen you hyperventilate before. Or being irritated, frustrated and angry."

Diablos took a few deeps breaths and got his head up, that had dropped down on his friend's shoulder for a moment.

"Are you okay?" Salerna asked, still holding Diablos loosely.

"For now, yes," the man with red-tainted eyes said and moved away.

Salerna frowned. 'For now?'

-o-

Diablos tiredly walked back and forth, trying to make Harry fall asleep again. However, the boy was wide-awake and not in the mood to sleep. Diablos wanted to cry out in frustration because he was finished. Harry had been with him now for one month and he wondered how the hell his brother had succeeded.

The boy's happy gurgling made him look down at Harry.

"You interrupted my sleep… again. You're an evil little creature, aren't you?" the man said.

Harry had the nerve to giggle. Diablos looked painfully at the boy and whispered:

"You look like your father."

Harry looked up at him and gurgled again. For being around one and a half-year old child, Harry was not much for talking. He preferred gurgling and child-babbling since it almost always made Diablos want to smile. So of course the boy only gurgled at his words. Diablos sat down and said:

"Why aren't you talking like every other child are?"

Harry gurgled for the third time, flashing the man a smile. However, Diablos was not in the mood.

"Can you at least try falling back to sleep?" Diablos pleaded. "I want to sleep before going to work."

"Want to come!"

"You can't come with me," the man said and rubbed his forehead. "Where I work is not place for such a small child as you."

"Want to!"

"No," Diablos said and looked down at his nephew. "When you get older you can come."

Harry looked like Christmas had come early.

-o-

Salerna looked at Diablos who walked back and forth. The older man had poured up two glasses of wine but they were untouched. It was Christmas Eve and Cissi was with Harry in the living room. The two men were close by in a sitting-room but it was only because Salerna had forced his younger colleague.

"You look like the dead," the white-haired man commented. Diablos glared at him and snapped back:

"Try to do work without sleeping for a few weeks and see how you are doing!"

"Alright, this isn't you," Salerna said and stood up from the armchair. "You don't snap, you don't get angry, you don't scream at your students. What's wrong?"

"Everything! I can't do this! James maybe thought so, but he's fucking wrong!"

"Calm down," the older man said, taking a hold of the other man's shoulder. "It's stressful, yes but you need to take some time off and really take care of him."

"I can't," Diablos said. "I just can't."

"Yes you can, you selfish brat. Take time off after Christmas."

Diablos looked up at his friend, and said:

"I'm not cut out to be a parent."

"You are a parent already, so live with it."

-o-

Later that night, Diablos was awoken by a small rustle. He sat up groggily and saw Harry was tugging at his sheets.

"What?" he said.

"Up," Harry replied and stretched up his arms. Diablos didn't complain, only lifted up his charge up onto the bed and lay down again.

The child snuggled against him and said:

"Why not smilin'?"

The question startled the man a bit. He looked at Harry and said:

"What do you mean? It's a bit too late to be philosophic." Though he doubted the child knew what the word 'philosophic' meant.

"Me want Dia smilin'." And apparently he thought Diablos' name was too long and complicated to be said.

"Harry…"

"Me want uncle smilin'!"

'How did he become so talk active?' "Harry," he tried again but was interrupted again:

"Do wrong?"

"What?" the man with red-tainted eyes asked his nephew. "Do wrong?"

"Did me do wrong? Dia afraid like aunt?"

The raven-haired man looked at the boy. He sighed and said:

"No, Harry. You didn't do anything wrong, and I'm not afraid. I just don't smile."

"Why not?"

"I have nothing to smile for."

The emerald-eyed boy looked up and narrowed his eyes.

"Smile!" he ordered.

"Harry?"

"Smile, uncle! Won't sleep until Dia smilin'!"

Harry continued throw his little tantrum but stopped as he felt his uncle's body shake the tiniest bit. Harry looked up fearfully and was confused when Diablos was crying with a hint of a smile on his lips. The man's breaths came out in small, painful pants and Harry said:

"Uncle, what wrong?"

"Nothing," Diablos said breathlessly. "It's just… you really remind me of James when he was small. He was the one who made me smile as a child."

The boy crawled up but Diablos kept on crying, the shaky smile soon disappearing. Harry patted the raven hair slowly and said:

"Don't wanna see uncle cryin'. Want to see uncle smilin'."

The man looked at his nephew and finally, finally he smiled broadly and openly. Harry giggled, not knowing he had accomplished something that had not been succeeded in several years.

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter two: Lucius Malfoy is doing some business in Italy and Severus Snape is with him. They are getting a tour around the Auror School, and the head instructor calls on a Mr Potter. Who is that?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	3. Chapter 2

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Chapter Two**

**Year 1987  
****Rome, Italy**

Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape stepped out from the fire-place and were met by a tall woman with brown hair and brown eyes. She had a hawk-like appearance but her smile was gentle and she said:

"Mr Malfoy, Mr Snape my name is Maria Maga. I heard about your business, Mr Malfoy and your wish to see Italy's Auror school, is that correct?"

"Yes," the blonde replied and shook her hand. "We've both seen the school back in England and merely wished to see if there was any difference."

"Well, if that is what you gentlemen want, that is what you will get," she said. "I am the head-instructor for this school and the headmistress, but unfortunately I can't give you a tour because of my duties. However, one of my best teachers is free and he agreed. He's English, so that's even better."

"We would be honoured," the Malfoy said.

She turned around and called out:

"Mr Potter!"

They both froze. Potter? _Potter_? Lucius looked at the potions master and saw his friend was tense. Truth to be told, neither wanted to meet a Potter, if said Potter was anything like James Potter. He had been hard on Severus in school, and they had been enemies ever since they met each other.

However, to their surprise a man with long black hair, and frightening red-blue eyes came walking, dressed in a formal robe for the teachers; knee-long metal boots, black pants, a black shirt and a deep purple robe over it. He did not look any older than Lucius and was nearly the same height as the blonde. His face was pale and his body rather thin, bordering on gaunt. He stopped in front of them, looked at Maria and she said:

"Mr Malfoy, Mr Snape, meet the teacher of Dark Arts along with its' siblings, Diablos Potter. Diablos, these two men was the one I spoke about. Are you still free?"

"Free until four," Diablos replied, looking at their shocked faces. "Guiding through the whole building will take two hours at the most, so I have a lot of time."

"Great. I will leave them in your hands then."

With a last smile, Maria hurried off to her class. Diablos looked at them both and began almost tonelessly:

"This building has a total of twelve floors. We can start here, at the main floor, and make our way up to the top where there is a small restaurant with great view over Muggle Rome."

"That sounds perfect, Mr Potter," Lucius said with a polite smile.

"Diablos is fine," the man said with his stony face, not returning the man's smile. "Politeness is not required with me."

"Um, what did Ms Maga mean with Dark Arts along with its' siblings?" Severus asked carefully.

Diablos turned his eyes towards the black-dressed man and replied automatically:

"I teach in Dark Arts, Black Arts and Blood Magic. Black Arts and Blood Magic are called the siblings to Dark Arts."

The two of them stared at him, while he only arched an eyebrow. They had not expected a Potter to even go near Dark Arts only to find out there was an English Potter who actually was a _teacher_ in the subject.

"Uncle Dia!"

The two men looked at each other in surprise, then back at Diablos. He made no indication he had even heard the shout, or whoever had called had not bothered to call his full name. If it had been him the voice had calling for.

A small blur crashed into the smaller man, but he did not even move from the impact. For looking so thin and weak, he certainly had strong muscles to root him in place. The small blur was a boy who clung onto the man's hips with a giggle. He pried the boy's hands away from his robes, ignoring the two men and glanced down. Diablos sighed and said:

"Hello, hyper one. Did Salerna give you too many sweets, Harry?"

The two men found themselves looking at one Harry Potter, age seven while looking nothing like they had expected. He had same wild hair as his father, but his face was more like Diablos than James Potter, and his skin was just as pale. His eyes still belonged to Lily though but he wore no glasses, to their surprise. Any children to James Potter would have needed glasses; the man had been close to blind without them. The boy giggled and said:

"Maybe a chocolate frog too many, uncle."

"Just one too many? Try ten too many. And don't call me uncle, Harry. It makes me sound old," Diablos said with a sigh. "I'm going to give these two men a tour around the school. Do you wish to follow or stay with Salerna?"

"Follow," Harry said, looking at them curiously.

Diablos quirked an eyebrow but then turned to Lucius and Severus and said:

"Shall we begin then? This is my nephew Harry. Harry, meet Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape from England."

They nodded weakly towards the boy while he smiled at them and Diablos started walking. Harry grasped a part of his robe but the raven-haired man did not even seem to notice his nephew. The two men from England listened as he spoke about the different rooms on the first floor. Then they began moving towards the elevators and Diablos looked down at the boy.

"Harry, what have I said?" he asked quietly, but still loud enough for the other two to hear.

Harry looked up at his uncle, and with a start he realized what he was doing. He released the robe and said a quick:

"Sorry."

"I'm not angry," Diablos reassured him. "Take my hand instead."

They watched in surprise as the small boy took Diablos' hand happily and almost bouncing next to the straight-walking man. They made a strange picture, both Severus and Lucius concluded. While they looked like father and son, they appeared as water and oil. Harry was vibrant, filling the air with his excitement and happiness while Diablos kept a low profile, striking uneasiness into people.

"Uncle, are we going to meet Cissi later?" Harry asked excitedly. He seemed to have forgotten about the request Diablos had made of not calling him 'uncle' and on the look of the man's face, he seemed to let the subject drop. "She promised me I could ride again."

"Riding a horse like a Muggle," Diablos muttered under his breath, the two former Slytherins hearing him. "Merlin help us all."

"I heard that," the boy said with a glare. "Salerna likes horse-riding and you like sight-seeing."

"I like sight-seeing because that always make you shut up."

"Hey that wasn't nice! Anyway, you like riding a horse too!"

-o-

It took them all until lunch-time to reach the top floor, roughly around two hours as Diablos had said. Lucius and Severus had listened on with smiles at Harry and Diablos debating with each other. The blonde even thought that maybe introducing Draco to this vibrant and lively boy would be nice. Severus could not picture the child as James Potter's brat and even seemed to like him.

The two men decided to have some lunch, and invited the two Potters. Diablos accepted and sent Harry off to make an order. The boy happily bounced away as Diablos sat down by a table outside, where the view was truly beautiful. Lucius and Severus walked behind the raven-haired boy, wondering why Diablos sent him alone in such a big place with a lot of people. Their questions where answered soon though.

"Diablos really like to order you around, right?" one of the students suddenly said to the boy.

"Nah, his back isn't fully healed that's all!" Harry chirped. "Uncle needs a bit of a rest, but he's too stubborn to let himself."

"I got his class later, but I can't go," the student continued thoughtfully, looking at the child. "Can you tell him that?"

"Depends on where you're supposed to go."

"I'm going home to Moscow," the student replied with a smile. "My sister's birthday is tomorrow and I promised to help them prepare."

"Oh… okay, permission granted. But uncle will probably chew your head off anyway."

"Probably," the man said, wincing a bit at the thought. "Thanks Harry!"

The student walked off with a last pat on the boy's head and he continued on his way. Lucius and Severus made their orders as well. The witch standing and taking the orders listened on Harry's request and then poured up a glass of wine. She gave it to him and said:

"A treat for your grumpy uncle."

"Oh," Harry said. "But it's wine."

"I know, that's why I'm giving him it," the witch said. "His favourite as well. Give it to him, and I'm sure he'll be a bit happier. Go on; I'll get your food out in a minute."

The emerald-eyed boy carefully carried the wineglass back to his uncle while the two men made their orders. They came back to the table just time to see Diablos flash a little smile to his nephew. It was the first time they had seen a difference in the stone face. Some of the students sitting near were watching their teacher. What was the cause of his smiling? Of course, as usual, his Harry's happy nature and talking.

Lucius did not sit at first; instead he walked over to the fence that stopped you from falling down and looked over Rome.

"How long have you lived here, Diablos?" the blonde man asked and turned to look at him. Diablos looked back, his wineglass being put down carefully and he replied:

"Since I was seventeen."

"That was a while ago I guess."

"Yes," Diablos said. "I'm six years older than Mr Snape and the same age as you, Mr Malfoy."

"How do you know my age?" the potions master asked.

"Because you are the same age as James," Diablos replied. Lucius looked at him for a while, wondering and then memories suddenly clicked together and he said:

"You're the quiet one."

Diablos looked at him and said:

"Took a while to refresh your memory, blondie."

Oh, Lucius remembered that nickname. Only the quietest and the most cunning one of the Slytherins had dared calling him that. The Malfoy stared at Diablos and said:

"You, the brother of James Potter? Hard to believe."

"Blood-adopted," the red-eyed man supplied and took a sip of his wine. He looked down at Harry who was picking something up from his pocket. He placed a delicate hand over his nephew's small one. "No, Harry, no sweets before lunch."

"But uncle Dia!"

"No."

"Meanie."

"I'm a Slytherin Harry. Meanie is one of the nicest things I've been called."

Harry said something in Italian that made Diablos spit out the wine he had. The glass was put down with a sharp sound and the boy jumped. Diablos took a deep breath and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, closed his eyes before turning to the boy and said:

"Who in the fucking hell taught you that fucking sentence?" His calm demeanour did not fool the adults for one second.

"Salerna," the boy said, a bit terrified. Diablos never swore in front of Harry; only when he was really, really pissed off. At hearing his friend's name, the man snapped.

"He's dead," Diablos declared and stormed from the table.

Lucius and Severus stared after him. Harry's mouth was open. Finally the blonde got some sense back and said to the boy:

"What did you say?"

Harry blushed heavily and whispered the sentence in Lucius' ear. The blonde stared at the boy with wide eyes and said after a while:

"Well, THAT kind of sentences is maybe not the best to teach a child." 'And just in what kind of situation had this man said it when the boy was present?'

"Poor Salerna," Harry said with a sigh. "When Dia is finished with him, he'll probably wish he was never born."

-o-

"_SALERNA_!"

The white-haired man winced and turned around slowly, the onlookers gulping as they saw the speaker. Diablos glared at him, magic coming off him in waves. Whoever named him Diablos, probably named him after he had some sort of tantrum and got pissed off.

"Yes?" Salerna whimpered. He had a feeling he had done something very, very wrong.

"You're so dead," Diablos growled, and Salerna took that as a sign to run.

-o-

The raven-haired man came back 20 minutes later and sat down.

"Is he dead?" Harry said.

"No, Merlin forbid," Diablos replied lightly and downed the wine-glass. "Death would be too merciful. He's merely hanging in the dungeons by his thumbs until he's learned his lesson."

Harry choked on his food and stared at his uncle in horror. Diablos looked at the wineglass and sighed.

"I need another one," he said and slumped back.

"By his thumbs?" Lucius said.

"In what dungeons?" Severus continued.

"Yes, by his thumbs, and the dungeons in the building," Diablos said. "Harry, get me another glass. And he's only going to hang there for the rest of the day so don't looked so horrified."

"But it's only lunch," Harry whispered, tear-eyed.

"Well," the red-eyed man said and put his chin in his hand as he thought it over. "Alright, I'll let him down before I'll have my class. Harry, wine now, or else I'm going down and kill him."

-o-

"Well, this is an embarrassing first meeting," Salerna said, rubbing his sore thumbs. "You're evil, Diablos."

"You deserved it," the man shot back. "What the hell were you thinking, teaching Harry that? _Go home and fuck your sister before I kick the shit out of you_? What the fuck?"

Lucius and Severus stared at the man Diablos had just collected from the dungeons. He had only been there for one hour, too short according to the red-eyed man but he had caved into Harry's tear-filled eyes. Salerna laughed a bit sheepishly and said:

"Well, I'm never gonna teach Harry something like that again. Though I said it when I was drunk…"

"That's even worse!" Diablos shouted and smacked Salerna over the head.

"Ow! Man, sometimes I think I liked you better when you didn't bother with emotions. You're far too scary now, Diablos."

"Watch you tongue, before I cut it out," the man hissed, his eyes narrowed.

Harry held Diablos' hand tightly and gently pulled on it.

"Come on, stop it," he begged. Diablos sighed and hit Salerna one last time over the head.

The white-haired man pouted and rubbed the sore spot, but smiled to the two English men and introduced himself. He got happy when he learned Lucius had gone same year as Diablos and wanted to know how the man had been in school. Meanwhile, Harry ran off to get a good view of Rome. Diablos trailed behind him.

"Well, I didn't bother much with him," Lucius confessed. "They never said his last name, and that was the only thing that perched my interest."

"They just called out Diablos?" Salerna said.

"Yeah," the blonde man said. "He didn't seem to bother. He was the ever-quiet student who was well-liked by all teachers because he was smart. Though Dumbledore never liked him."

"Well, Diablos probably never liked Dumbledore back," Salerna said and sipped his water. "How smart was he?"

"He got pretty much Outstanding in every subject he wanted to have Outstanding in. Outstanding is the highest score you can have in Hogwarts."

"What about James?" the white-haired man asked.

"He got sorted when Diablos and I started seventh year. I never saw them talk, or even look at each other. For most part of the year."

"Most part?" Salerna asked.

"There was an attack only a few weeks before school ended," Lucius said. "Sirius Black, a good friend to James, nearly got killed in an attack at the school. Diablos protected him, and almost died in the process. I saw James sitting by his side in the Infirmary. I wondered why at first, but I never got around asking him. Now though, I understand why."

"Diablos said that James stopped hating him during that last year," the white-haired man said thoughtfully. "Now I know why."

Diablos looked over Muggle Rome, and felt a sudden tug on his robes. Harry was looking up at him and lifted his arms. Diablos picked him up and placed him on his hip. The boy looked over the city and leaned his head onto the man's shoulder.

"Sorry," the raven-haired boy said after a while.

"You don't need to be," Diablos said.

"You hurt Salerna," Harry accused.

"I know, and I enjoyed it," Diablos replied.

"Meanie."

"Stick to those words in the future."

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter two done!

Chapter three: Harry meets Draco when the Malfoys visits Italy. They are both going to be seven, a few months after this chapter.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	4. Chapter 3

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Chapter Three**

**Florence, Italy**

"Dad, I don't like this!"

Lucius laughed at his son, Draco, who clung onto his robes with his grey eyes open wide. They were riding nearby Florence, in a place where wizards and witches could come and try this Muggle enjoyment. And truth to be told, Lucius was very much enjoying it. You could try it in England too but Italy was much nicer.

"Don't worry, Draco", the blonde reassured. "You're not going to fall off."

Narcissa came up next to them, and continued:

"And if you do, Draco dear, I'll turn your father's hair pink."

Draco giggled at the idea, and Lucius snorted. They continued on the road they were on, and the boy seemed to relax more and more. They were here because they needed a break from the English weather, and because Narcissa loved Italy very much.

"Faster!" a child-voice shouted from behind them.

The shout made them all jump a bit, but luckily the horses were not faced. Lucius recognized the voice and said:

"It can't be…"

The moment after, Salerna zoomed past on a snow white horse, Harry safely in front of him in the saddle. The boy was grinning widely. The white-haired man spurred the horse on, making them disappear in a cloud of dust.

"Wha…?" the blonde man managed, dumb-founded.

In the next moment, Diablos came. He was sitting on a black horse and looked less amused. He rode past the group easily and shouted:

"Salerna, drop Harry and you'll find yourself in the dungeons again!"

The three of them stared. The man noticed Lucius and slowed down a bit so he could ride alongside them.

"It's seemed like we're bound to meet each other", Diablos commented. "Blondie."

"Not that name again", Lucius groaned. The raven-haired man smiled a bit. But just a bit and it disappeared as fast as it had appeared. "Diablos, meet my wife, Narcissa, and my son, Draco. Was that Salerna and young Harry that we saw? He was quite happy it seemed."

"I don't know where the brat gets it", the red-eyed man muttered, talking about Harry's love for horse-riding but he knew it probably came from him and Salerna. "Do you have a lot of time? We were going out for lunch later, perhaps you can join us?"

"We would love that", Lucius said and Narcissa nodded.

"Let's meet at the stables in one hour then", Diablos said and then spurred the horse on so he could catch up with his co-worker and nephew.

-o-

"That was awesome! Can we do this next weekend as well, Dia?"

Lucius located the group by listening to Harry's voice. Narcissa held Draco's hand and followed her husband. They came to the other group. Diablos looked tired and said:

"No, Harry. You know I have the extra-teaching next weekend."

"Why do you work so much?" the boy complained. "No one works as much as you."

"We've had this discussion before", Salerna said, "and you know your uncle doesn't like it, Harry. Aah, our lunch guests!"

The two Potters turned and Diablos raised a hand in greeting. Harry however, had wide eyes and said in awe:

"Three blondes."

Lucius had to smile. Narcissa giggled and Draco just looked a bit shy.

"Hello to you too, Harry", Lucius said instead of commenting.

"Oh, sorry Mr Malfoy!"

"No it's alright. And it's Lucius."

"Lucius", Harry said shyly.

"This is my wife, Narcissa, and my son, Draco", Lucius said to them. "Narcissa and Draco, Diablos and Harry Potter along with Salerna… I never got your last name."

"Maga", Salerna supplied. "And no, I'm not related to the head instructor. Shall we go then? My wife Cissi is waiting, and she have a present to you, Harry."

"Really?" the boy said happily. "Let's go then."

Diablos let himself be dragged forward by his nephew, while the Malfoy family followed. Draco was eyeing the raven-haired boy curiously, and Lucius said:

"No reason to be shy, Draco. I'm sure Harry wants to talk to you too."

Narcissa looked at the two men in front of them as well and said:

"How did you come to know them?"

"When I visited the Auror School in Rome."

"You visited an Auror School?" the blonde boy asked excitedly. "Tell me!"

Lucius chuckled but complied.

-o-

Cissi was delighted to meet Narcissa, after giving Harry a bone-crushing hug, a gift, a nice and juicy kiss to her husband, a peck on the cheek for Diablos and smiles for the two male Malfoys, and the two women laughed together as the blonde woman told Cissi her nickname was Cissy. So from that moment they were Cissi and Cissy, despite they were practically so unlike in their looks as they could get. While Narcissa was blonde and blue-eyed, Cissi was brown-haired and had a strange combination of brown and gold, making them shine even in the dark.

They went to a small restaurant and the Malfoys were shocked when they discovered it was full of witches and wizards. It was in the middle of a Muggle street! The two adults came to the conclusion it was the same thing as with the Leaky Cauldron; spelled so Muggles could not see it.

Salerna and Cissi seemed to have been to the restaurant often, because the waitress addressed them informally and the white-haired man said:

"A table for seven."

"Visitors?" she asked, looking at them with a smile. She was dressed in a Muggle-way with a clean, white shirt and black pants. Her hair was braided and her face innocent-looking.

"English", Salerna replied. "This is the Malfoy family from England and you know Cissi, Diablos and Harry."

"Hello Harry", the woman said and smiled wider. "Want me to bring out your usual?"

"Yeah!" the boy said, smiling right back at her.

"Table number five is free", she said to Salerna. "I'll come back with the menu soon."

The group manoeuvred themselves to the table and sat down. The waitress came back within a few minutes with menus and a glass for Harry with a sort of ice-cream drink.

"You know the procedure, Salerna, Cissi", she said before hurrying off.

Diablos looked at the menu without really looking interested and said:

"I need wine."

"I know you need it", Salerna said. "How about that one? It was a while we drank one of those."

Diablos leaned over to see which one the white-haired man was pointing at.

"Sounds good", the red-eyed man said as he straightened up. "Made up your mind, Harry?"

"Not yet", the boy said as he sipped his drink. "What are you having, Draco?"

The boy looked mildly surprised of being addressed but thought for a while and replied:

"I was thinking of number fifteen."

"A good choice there", Cissi said. "It's delicious."

"What are you having, Dia?" Harry asked his uncle.

Diablos looked over the different choices and said after a while:

"Number thirty-one."

"But that's all salad!" Harry said.

"Stop whining", Diablos said. "I can have salad if I want to."

"That's all you eat anyway", the boy muttered and looked away.

"Are we all finished?" Salerna asked, and got nods in return. "Great."

He put his wand on the center of the table and spoke up their numbers along with two bottles of wine and juice for Harry and Draco. A voice came back once he was finished:

"Thank you for your order; the food will be served in ten minutes."

The adults chatted while waiting for the food, and Harry gained enough courage to ask if Draco wanted to taste on the drink. Soon the two children were sitting and talking with each other. Diablos looked over at his nephew and smiled a bit, knowing it would go unnoticed to everyone else. Harry did not have any friends in his own age; the youngest friend he had was fourteen years old, so he needed friends. Even though the boy said he was happy to be with just Diablos.

The lunch came, served by the waitress who held everything in the air with the help of her wand.

"Never leave the house without it", she said with a small laugh. "Enjoy your meal."

Diablos almost looked like he was about to take one of the wine bottles and down it.

"Diablos, did you know it's not good to down wine?" Salerna said as he carefully pulled the bottles away from his co-worker.

"I have not drunk wine since I hung you in the dungeons", Diablos warned. "Gimme me one of them. I will not down it, you idiot; I just want one glass."

"Have you kept him sober, Harry?" the white-haired man asked brightly.

"He got a bit mad when I hid the wine, but thanked me afterwards", the boy said. "And he deserves a glass since he hates when we're riding too fast for him."

"Don't talk like I'm a heavy drinker", Diablos hissed at his friend.

"But you were", Salerna said calmly back.

"Blame it on England", Diablos muttered and slumped back. Lucius and Narcissa looked at him.

"I can't blame whole England", the white-haired man dead-panned.

"Blame that man named Albus Dumbledore then", the raven-haired man said and poured a glass to himself. Lucius gaped. Harry noticed and said:

"He always talks bad about this Dumbledore, but he says every person has to judge on their own. Do you know him, Lucius?"

"A bit", the blonde man said carefully. "Not the most… honest man, I can tell you that. He likes being in control."

Harry wrinkled his nose and said:

"I don't think I'm gonna like him."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to go to Hogwarts", Harry said, "instead of the school here. Dia said it was okay, even he doesn't seem pleased."

"Harry, don't bring it up", Diablos said. "I just said it was a bit far away from where you live."

"I want to be in the school you went in!"

"I can assure you, you won't miss anything", Diablos said bitterly.

"But you already promised I could go", the raven-haired boy said. "Mum and dad went there as well."

"Does that really matter?" the man asked.

"Are you always this impossible?" Harry said and tried to glare.

"You're the one living with me", the man replied with a chuckle. "Eat your lunch."

"I'm not finished with this conversation."

"I know that, but eat your lunch. Or else Cissi is going to complain I don't take care of you… again."

"He is taking care of me, Cissi", Harry complained.

"I know dear", the brown-haired woman said. "He just forgets from time to time that it is time for lunch and dinner."

"Great", Diablos muttered. "Salerna makes me look like a drinker, and Cissi makes me look like a senile old man."

Lucius and Narcissa laughed, and the Maga pair looked mildly embarrassed. But Harry quickly commented:

"Aren't you a cruel man according to Salerna as well?"

"When it fits him", Diablos replied and took a bite of his salad. "Harry, eat now. Don't make me force you."

"Fine!"

They continued eating with small talks about this and that. Cissi and Narcissa giggled like a pair of teenage-girls, but that was alright. Salerna said himself Cissi had little to laugh at, and this had been a pleasant surprise.

The blonde Malfoy and white-haired man noticed Harry kept a close eye on how much Diablos drank. But he should not even have bothered. After the first glass of wine was gone, Diablos declared feeling ill, ordered water and kept himself to water. The two Malfoys wondered how he had kept custody if he really was such a big drinker. But Harry seemed used to it, and often acted more like an adult than a child. They wondered if Diablos really cared, because he looked awfully indifferent to everything.

They got their answers after lunch and during the rest of the day. They paid, or rather Salerna did and forbid anyone else to pay, and they got out on the street. It was Muggle-free at the moment.

"Would you like to get a tour around Florence?" Salerna said brightly.

"We are not due to be back in England until this evening", Lucius said, "so that would be fine. Are you up for a little sight-seeing, Draco?"

The boy shyly nodded.

"Then you can come to our house for dinner!" Harry said. "Right, Dia?"

"If they so wish."

"That would be an honour", Narcissa said politely, her arm linked with Cissi. "Now, let's go!"

"Cissy loves sight-seeing", Lucius said as the two women almost ran off. "It makes her all giddy for several hours afterwards."

Harry grinned. Diablos noticed and groaned. Lucius blinked.

"It makes Dia giddy as well", Harry said with a giggle.

"I don't get giddy, I get calm", Diablos muttered and turned his head to hide his blush.

"He gets giddy", Salerna confirmed, and took off running after the women as Diablos started to chase the poor man.

-o-

"Wow."

Wow. The two Malfoys repeated their son's comment in their heads as they stepped into the hall. Diablos was holding Harry in his arms and said:

"Welcome to Potter Manor."

"I didn't know you lived away from the wizard places", Lucius said.

"It was built somewhere during the sixteenth century, and the Potter ancestors apparently liked privacy", Diablos said.

"Do you have a vineyard?" Narcissa asked.

"Oh, they have!" Cissi answered instead of Diablos. "Come, let me show it! I love it so much I nearly go here every day just to see it!"

The two women hurried off and Salerna said:

"I think my wife is seventeen again."

"You pervert", Diablos commented calmly and Salerna blushed heavily. "A drink, Lucius?"

"Thank Merlin you stopped using Blondie", the man said. "And yes, something cool would be nice. Would you like something, Draco?"

"Maybe some water", the boy said carefully.

"Water is good for such a warm day", Salerna said. "Is Harry asleep?"

Diablos ran a hand through the boy's hair, and Lucius was struck with the love shining in those red-tainted eyes.

"I think the warmth got to him", the man said. "I'll just lay him down for a bit. You're welcome to join me, Draco. You get to see his room."

The blonde boy hesitated for a bit before letting go of his father's hand and following the raven-haired man up the stairs.

"Salerna, entertain our guest", Diablos said.

"Again?" Salerna said. "Typical; I'm sure he and Harry have some sort of a deal so he doesn't have to entertain someone."

"Is he always like this?"

"Constantly", the man moaned.

"The talking about his drinking…"

"You're wondering why he never lost custody? Because he was a pretty heavy drinker before if you wondered."

"Yeah, I'm wondering just that. How did he keep custody?"

"Despite being drunk, feeling like shit, he always took care of Harry. Though kiddo there sometimes smelled the alcohol and promptly led Diablos to a chair and gave him water. It went over-board after a while."

"Overboard how?"

"He drank until he passed out", Salerna said. "He doesn't like speaking about it."

"Why did he do it?"

"Depression", Salerna said with a shrug. "Can happen to anyone."

"Depression for what?"

"Harry looked exactly like James", the white-haired man said as they sat down in the living-room. "Diablos blamed himself for James' and Lily's deaths. It became better when Harry asked to be blood-adopted."

"So that's the reason why they look so alike?" Lucius asked with a small smile.

"Yes", the older man said. "It happened just around a year ago. I think that helped Diablos a lot."

Lucius wondered how a simple blood-adoption made the man feel better. Salerna looked at his face and continued:

"If you're wondering why I'll tell you."

The blonde man waited.

"It made Diablos feel like Harry was his own kid, and not James'. Because each time he looked at Harry before, he saw his dead brother."

-o-

Draco looked around the room while Diablos laid down Harry onto the four-poster bed. It was a big room, with high windows and in a pale blue colour. Draco liked it. It had a nice bed, a desk, a wardrobe and some bookshelves.

The boy was startled as a glass with water appeared right in front of him on the desk. He turned around just to see Diablos turn back to the bed. The blonde Malfoy took the offered water and sipped it as he walked over to the shelves.

Mostly books. Harry seemed eager to learn. Draco found it interesting he had many books in defence, potions and Transfiguration. He heard the boy wake and turned around. And stood still.

During the whole day, he had gotten the feeling that Diablos was cold, and a bit uncaring. Softly speaking, never more than necessary but still engaging Harry. He seemed to have a soft spot for the young raven-haired boy but Draco thought he acted a bit weird for that.

Now however, all of his observations were thrown into the window. Diablos was smiling widely at the boy in the bed and his tone when he spoke had a playful tone:

"Good morning, you lazy boy. You made me carry you for over an hour."

"That's because of my adoring charm", Harry replied sleepily. "Seriously, Dia, you looked like you need to sleep. You're getting old."

"Call me old, and find yourself in the attic."

"You don't scare me, uncle."

"… Damn. And stop calling me uncle."

"But you wouldn't let me call you daddy."

"That's because I'm not your daddy."

"I don't know my own, so why can't you be my daddy?" Harry asked, not sleepy anymore.

They seemed to be used to this discussion, and Draco was surprised the raven-haired man had not thrown him out yet. And then came the final proof Diablos acted very differently alone with his nephew.

He softly stroke the hair away, making Harry lean into the touch, and said, a bit sadly:

"I'm just your uncle, Harry. That's it. James is your father."

"But he's dead", the boy whined. "I love you as my daddy, Dia."

Diablos smiled gently and placed a careful kiss on the boy's forehead. Small arms wound themselves around his neck and the man had no choice but to lay down. Draco slowly stepped forward, and Harry noticed him.

"Hi", he said, a little embarrassed.

"Hi", the blonde answered. "I think I'll just go down to dad and Salerna."

"You can find the way on your own?" the raven-haired boy asked.

"I don't really know where they are", the boy mumbled.

Diablos looked up, snapped his fingers and immediately a house-elf showed up.

"Dora, show Draco here to wherever Salerna and Mr Malfoy is", the red-eyed man said.

Dora bowed before going to the boy.

"This way, young sire."

The blonde followed the house-elf, leaving the two Potters alone. Diablos tiredly rubbed his eyes and Harry said in triumph:

"See! I told you so!"

The man stared at him, yawned and made himself comfortable.

"You're going to sleep in my bed?" Harry asked, surprised. Diablos had never done so.

"What? First you complain I don't sleep enough, and when I'm going to sleep you object to it", the man said, amused.

"It's just… you always go to your own room."

"Everybody changes. Even people like me. Now shut it brat, and let me get some shut-eye."

Harry happily moved so the man could stretch out fully, ignoring the word 'brat'. His uncle always used it, but always in a fond tone. Diablos was asleep within minutes. The boy carefully spread the covers over the man before looking at him for a long time. All the talking about his drinking habits had made Diablos nervous, and tired. Who knew what Salerna was telling Lucius at this moment? Luckily, Lucius seemed like a man that would not spread it any further.

Harry lay down and carefully arranged so that Diablos was holding him loosely. The man claimed he hated hugging, but the emerald-eyed boy knew his uncle was craving for touch but was too afraid to ask. Harry was only seven, but knew much about his uncle no one else knew. He knew that Diablos enjoyed the autumn breeze, especially when he was in the backyard. The man could sit there for hours, never minding his hands would almost turn into ice.

His hands were fragile as well, always cold and that made Diablos hate the cold. He liked the warm weather, and when it rained the raven-haired man was a pain to deal with. But this was known to Salerna. But he did not know the few odd moments when Diablos would curl up on the window-sill like a small boy and look at the drips of water curiously as they slid down the window. Harry thought that bit of Diablos a bit weird, but hey; every person had their own weird habits.

The young boy had come to realize that Diablos hated many things. The cold, Dumbledore, lazy students, politicians, Dumbledore, his own weakness against alcohol, Dumbledore, his depression… had he mentioned Dumbledore? Just the name brings out the insanity in the man's eyes. Harry dreaded to know just what Dumbledore had made to make Diablos hate him with such a passion.

But Diablos loved some things as well, and most of them only Harry knew. The spring and the autumn, the hard wind blowing away all the bad thoughts (another weird thing Diablos thought but an alright thought), reading books from the library (really, the man lost precious sleep because of those books), going into a Muggle church and just sit there. He was in no way religious, but had learned a bit about the religion so he would not appear strange. He loved churches, how they were built. He said they sometimes made him feel like he walked back in time as he entered them. So old and still so beautiful. His eyes were shining when he happily dragged Harry there. It made Harry feel special. He did not even share this little interest of his with Salerna. Just with Harry.

Back to reality. Diablos had, even in his sleep, felt Harry's thin form and the boy felt Diablos' hand clutch into the fabric of the shirt he was wearing. Diablos never knew how he acted when he was asleep. People expected him to be still and quiet, since he was still and quiet in real life, but no such luck there. Diablos maybe was quiet, but he was never still.

The man moved around like crazy some nights just to lie deathly still the next. He usually clutched a pillow to his chest, just to feel something close to him. But now he had Harry to clutch on.

And truth to be told, Harry did not mind being almost crushed to death sometimes. And if Diablos did not let go when Harry wanted, a scream always woke the man up.

Tbc…

* * *

Abrupt ending, but who cares? /smiles

Alright, next chapter: The summer before Harry starts Hogwarts. I'm jumping here, around three years so Diablos could have changed much, or nothing at all. We'll see in the next chapter.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	5. Chapter 4

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Chapter Four**

"Harry?"

Ten-year old Harry Potter looked up from his book, and replied:

"Yeah?"

"Put away the book," his uncle, Diablos Potter, said. "I need to talk to you about something."

Sigh. "Is it about Dumbledore again?"

"Nope."

"Then what?" Harry asked, putting away the book.

"A Prophecy."

"A Prophecy?" Harry echoed.

"Yes. Your Prophecy." Merlin, the man could be abrupt. But Harry was used to it.

"Mine?"

"There was a Prophecy about you and Voldemort. It basically said either you kill him or you get killed by him." People would wince as he spoke, scolding him for not being more subtle and gentle, but the emerald-eyed boy just looked at his uncle.

"That's why he attacked me?" the boy asked after a little while.

"Yes," Diablos replied.

"How did you know the Prophecy?"

"Because I've heard it. James and Lily repeated it to me."

"They knew as well?"

"Yes, that's why they did everything they could to protect you."

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I got a letter from a friend who works with the Prophecies. He said yours was fake."

Harry stared.

-o-

Bill Weasley sighed as he stared at the goblins working. He had a small break and chose to watch them work to learn. They were interesting creatures, really. They were smart business-people and had a knack to get away with almost anything.

"Dreaming again?"

He turned and looked at the person who spoke. His eyes widened.

"Diablos!"

The red-eyed man gave a faint smile and Bill rushed up to greet him. Bill had met Diablos three years earlier when the man had visited Gringotts. They had quickly become friends, but the redhead had not mentioned him to anyone in England. It was because he had heard rumours that Diablos was dangerous, and despite being a Potter he was not to be trusted. This was of course told to his parents by Dumbledore, and they believed him as they always did. But Bill knew that Diablos was someone you could trust, even if he was a bit own.

"What owes me the pleasure?" the redheaded man asked.

"Just passing by."

"We're in Egypt, Diablos. You don't pass by here."

"I do."

Bill stared at the man.

"What are you looking for then?" he asked finally.

"Egypt sand," the man replied, spread his hands out and looked down. "And I believe I have found some."

The younger man could not hold himself. He broke down in hysterical laughter, and the raven-haired man tilted his head.

"Egypt sand?" Bill wheezed out. "Are you serious?"

"No, that's Harry godfather."

That made the Weasley break down again, this time he fell on his bum and held his side. One of the goblins came over, and raised its eyebrows at them. Diablos just arched one slender eyebrow to the younger man and said:

"Well… I believe I just said something funny."

"Believe," Bill gasped. "Fuck, how can you look so indifferent when you say stuff like that?"

"My incredible ability of playing evil?"

"You don't play," the younger man said as he was pulled up. "You are."

"Why, thank you."

"Seriously, why are you here?"

"You're still with me?"

Bill looked at Diablos.

"You told Harry about it?"

"Yeah", Diablos replied. "He wasn't that surprised."

"If you say that, then he must've almost fainted."

"More or less."

"Thought so," Bill muttered.

-o-

Harry was reading a book yet again, and Sirius found himself doing so. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Sirius Black. Any of you wondering why the traitor to James and Lily Potter was sitting next to their son? I'll tell you.

Two years earlier, there was a letter from Diablos Potter to the Ministry in England, suggesting that Sirius Black was innocent. That brought an uproar around the Ministry, not as big as the first time he had sent a letter which was sent when Harry was only four, but surprisingly Lucius Malfoy suggested giving the man a trial. If still found guilty, they would just send him back. Fudge of course followed this advice, despite what Dumbledore said.

Turned out Sirius Black was innocent. He was freed from all charges, and just stood there for a moment before Diablos Potter stepped up, gave him a robe and told him everything was alright. Next thing was cleaning up Grimmauld Place for Sirius, getting him new robes and settling him back into society. Not an easy task, but Sirius had his good friend Remus Lupin to help. And then he got the chance to meet his godson once more.

Right now, he and Remus was visiting Italy and looking after Harry while Diablos was gone. He still remembered the first time he saw Harry after being in Azkaban. He looked like Diablos, but Sirius could care less. It was still Harry, his godson.

He had shocked not only Remus but also himself when he threw his arms around Diablos and thanked him. Unlike James, Sirius had a bit harder time accepting the red-eyed man. Next thing he had lifted Harry up and hugged him for several minutes. The raven-haired boy did not know the man very well, but seemed to like him.

"You guys reading again?"

The two of them looked up at Remus, who smiled and said:

"Diablos is back."

A blur passed the werewolf, a cry of 'Dia!' following. The raven-haired man succeeded not falling after Harry crashed into him, but gasped out:

"Harry, you're crushing my lungs!"

The boy released his grip slightly and grinned up at his uncle.

"Where have you been?" he asked.

"Egypt," the man replied.

"Egypt? What the hell were you doing there?" Sirius asked as he came out in the hall.

"Collecting sand."

Remus, Sirius and Harry stared at him. He shrugged and said:

"I wanted Egypt sand."

"You're joking, right?" Black said.

Diablos blinked.

"No," he said. "I'm not."

"Sand?" Harry questioned. "What do you need sand for?"

"You never know…"

Harry's eyes grew wider and he finally said:

"You're out of your mind, Dia."

"No, that's Dumbledore."

The raven-haired boy snorted and released his uncle. He then looked up at the red-eyed man and said:

"Hey, can Draco come over tonight? Lucius and Cissy were going on a party and they didn't want to leave him alone in the manor."

"Sounds alright to me," Diablos said. "Just as long as you don't bother me."

"Since when did we do that?" Harry asked innocently.

"Last time you did it was not even three days ago," Diablos deadpanned.

-o-

**Hogwarts, England**

Dumbledore looked at the letter to Harry Potter. Italy? The boy was in Italy? He hated Diablos Potter at that moment. Being in Italy meant he could not control Harry as he wanted. He needed Harry to trust him, and that damn devil-like man had probably made the boy hate him!

The headmaster needed a plan. A good plan that would get Harry Potter right where he wanted him.

-o-

"Dia, are you angry with me?"

The raven-haired man looked up at his nephew, and the boy continued:

"I mean… all this stuff about me going to Hogwarts. Are you mad at me for that?"

Diablos looked at him with a blank stare, then motioned him over with his hand. Harry complied. Diablos gently ruffled the boy's hair and let his hand cup Harry's cheek. The raven-haired boy was a bit surprised over the openness of the caress. Diablos preferred doing a bit more secretly but the emerald-eyed boy was not about to complain.

"I'm not angry with you," the man said softly. "I understand why you want to go there, and I'm not here to stop you."

"Are you really okay with it?"

"If I wasn't okay with it, don't you think I would've said something by now?"

Harry looked at him and smiled a bit. The boy leaned forward and hugged his uncle gently around the neck and said:

"Thanks."

-o-

Draco Malfoy stepped through the fire and came out to the Potter Manor in Florence, Italy. In the next moment he got a handful of Harry Potter over himself and they were sent crashing into the floor.

"Harry, we saw each other just a few days ago!" Draco wheezed.

"Doesn't matter," the boy said happily. "I just like the expression you make."

"You little…"

Harry got up and pulled the blonde boy up as well.

"Where's your uncle?" Draco asked.

"Around," Harry replied. "Speaking to a redheaded guy."

"Redheaded?"

"A Weasley I think. The oldest son of the current Weasleys, Bill or whatever his name was."

"Your uncle is friend with a Weasley?"

"Yeah, but that's because Bill is different. He doesn't have grudges against you guys like the other Weasleys have," the boy said.

A sudden crash made them both jump and they looked at each other. Then the two boys ran towards the noise, which came from the kitchen. As they entered the two boys stopped in shock. Remus hit his friend over the head with a pan and shouted:

"What the hell made you think you could cook, Sirius?"

"I was sure I could make it this time!" Sirius whined and held his head. "I didn't mean to blow it up!"

"You don't use your wand like that, you idiot!"

"… You don't?"

"NO, _you_ _don't_!"

The two boys looked on as the two friends argued back and forth. Sirius finally rubbed his head in embarrassment and began cleaning up the mess he had done.

"Sirius, let the house-elves do the cooking for Merlin's sake."

They all turned to look at Diablos. He looked around the room and said:

"What did you try to do?"

"Nothing!" Sirius roared.

A redheaded man came up from behind Diablos. He blinked at the mess in the kitchen and said:

"It looks like the one time my dad tried to make dinner."

"Yeah yeah! Just laugh at me!" Sirius said with a whine.

"If you wish so," Diablos replied. "Hello, Draco."

"Diablos," the blonde boy said. "Dad asked if you and Harry would like to come for a dinner tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Diablos said. "Well, I don't have anything planned tomorrow."

"Yes!" Harry whooped. "Come on, Draco, let's go up to my room."

The two boys left and the four adults stood quiet for a few moments. Then Diablos looked around the kitchen once more and said:

"Seriously, what did you try to do?"

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter four done! Sorry for any grammar errors, but I was too tired to check it. Also a short chapter but that's probably how they're gonna be from now on. But they will hopefully come up faster.

Chapter five: Harry's birthday, the last few days with his uncle before Hogwarts, the travel to Hogwarts and then the sorting… I think.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	6. Chapter 5

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Chapter Five**

**31st of July 1991**  
**Florence, Italy**

Harry woke up and lay still for a while. He noticed the window was open, probably due to Dora who had learned he liked it. The thin curtains moved slowly with the wind and the boy heard the birds singing. The warm covers kept him comfortably snuggled into the bed and he had no desire whatsoever to move.

A knock on the door made him raise his head, his hair stuck out in all different directions. He called out sleepily and Diablos came in, already dressed in his teacher-robes.

"You have a class?" the boy asked, looking slightly disappointed.

"It's only seven-thirty in the morning," the red-eyed man said and stroke away the hair from Harry's eyes. "The class is for an hour or two, so go back to sleep until I come back."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Diablos said and bundled him up again.

-o-

The next time the raven-haired boy woke up it was to Diablos stroking his hair. The man did not often do that, so Harry lay still so his uncle would not stop. The gentle touch was something that the boy was starving to feel, but it was only when he got older that Diablos began feeling comfortable doing so.

"I know you're awake, Harry," the raven-haired man said.

"I know you know," the boy replied quietly. "I just don't want you to stop."

The man looked down at his nephew and smiled a bit. His slim hand moved to rub the boy's neck and Harry groaned in satisfaction.

"It's almost nine," the man said quietly. "Draco, Lucius and Narcissa are coming soon. Salerna and Cissi are already here."

"Already here?"

Diablos smiled as the boy got up and rushed to the bathroom. The man stayed put by the bed and stroke the covers. He felt a thin fabric around the covers and frowned. He drew it out and stared.

It was James' old blanket, marked by age and well-used, the protective magic fraying at the edges. Diablos looked at it for a long time before closing his eyes.

_Blue big eyes stared up at him, arms stretched out. A blanket was clutched in one of those tiny hands. Diablos, eight years old, complied and lifted his little brother James up. Mary Potter smiled at the two of them and said:_

"_Don't wander too far, okay? It's dinner soon."_

_Diablos nodded; he was not a very talk active child but Mary and her husband John was used to it. Instead he was well-mannered and very talented for his age. He already knew Potions pretty good, and could read Ancient Runes a bit. And he took care of James whenever Mary and John were busy with something._

_The boy went out into the living room and put James down onto the carpet. The small boy looked up at his brother and smiled a toothy grin. Diablos sat down by the boy, wrapping his thin arms around the knees and resting his chin onto the knees. The blue-eyed boy played around with his blanket before grabbing Diablos' hair and yanking. The boy was used to it so he just gently tugged it away and said a quiet 'No' which made James immediately stop._

_When Mary came to the living room to say the dinner was ready, she had to stop and smile. James had fallen asleep in Diablos' lap, his favourite blanket wrapped around the small body. Diablos was smiling a bit as he stroke his brother's hair._

"Dia?"

Diablos looked up and Harry came forward. He noticed the blanket and said:

"I know I shouldn't sleep with it but…"

"When did you start?"

"After I got adopted by you," Harry said hesitantly. "I just wanted something from dad, and you haven't really saved their stuff…"

Diablos rose up and stroke the blanket. He put it down and went to Harry.

"Do you regret the adoption?" the raven-haired man asked.

"No!" Harry said and fisted his hands into the man's robes. "I just… I just wanted something from dad."

Diablos looked down at his nephew and said:

"I have… some things from James. Not that much from him and Lily, but things that mother and father saved."

"Really?"

Diablos looked at the happy face and felt a bit sad. Harry saw this and hugged him.

"Dia, I love you," the boy said. "You're like my dad. I just feel happy if you want to share your memories with me."

Diablos wondered why Harry of all people could read him so easily.

-o-

"The birthday-boy!"

Cissi ran forward and hugged the boy while Diablos walked to the white-haired man. Salerna slung an arm around the younger man's shoulders and dragged him close for a moment. Diablos had begun allowing touch more and more, and Salerna took every chance he got to baby his younger friend.

Diablos allowed himself resting against Salerna for a few moments, like in a half-hug before he moved away a bit. It was then the white-haired man's turn to hug Harry, and then he said:

"Breakfast first before any gifts!"

"Alright, alright," the emerald-eyed boy said and proceeded to drag his uncle towards the dining room.

The Malfoys came a little while later, and the two boys greeted each other happily. Lucius and Narcissa greeted the adults, the two women immediately latching onto each other and beginning to gossip about the latest news.

"Isn't Harry's godfather coming?" Salerna asked.

"In the evening," Diablos replied. "Severus is coming by as well, and I'm trying to separate those two as much as I can."

"Smart move," the blonde man muttered. "They can't even act civil around each other."

Harry came over and dragged Diablos over to the table.

"You have to eat some too," the boy insisted. "Eat, or I won't be happy!"

The man rolled his eyes and replied:

"Maybe I ate before going to class?"

"No, you didn't! I asked the house-elves."

"Bloody traitors," the man muttered but complied, taking a toast. "Why doesn't everyone join us if you insist so much?"

The adults and Draco did sit down and soon they were all eating breakfast. Harry and Draco were discussing around what Draco had been given on his birthday that had been around a month earlier. The hearth flamed up, and Severus stepped through. He too was invited to the table by Harry, and he sat down next to Diablos.

"So where are we heading out today?" Lucius asked the raven-haired boy. Harry grinned and replied:

"Secret!"

"Oh joy, am I going to like it?" the Malfoy asked.

"You'll love it!"

Lucius raised an eyebrow but Harry refused to tell more.

-o-

The Malfoys and Severus looked around before turning to the others. Salerna grinned and said:

"Welcome to Venice!"

"Venice?" Narcissa gasped and looked around more closely.

"We're currently in magical Venice, and we don't plan going anywhere else," the white-haired man said. "Harry here wanted to ride a gondola, and who are we to refuse this simple request?"

"You're overacting," Diablos informed. "This way."

A few minutes later, the bunch of them found themselves in a gondola and steering out into the canal. Narcissa and Cissi were talking wildly about this while Harry and Draco sat in the front, pointing out places they liked. Diablos was content just looking around while Salerna had taken it upon himself to explain the different locations whenever Lucius or Severus asked.

Harry climbed back to his uncle and settled down in his lap. Diablos looked at him but made no comment.

After the ride with the gondola they went to a small restaurant for lunch. Harry was a bit impatient, since he had not open his gifts before they headed out and he was really curious of what he had gotten. However, Diablos managed to still him with a small pat on his shoulder.

After lunch, they went on a little sight-seeing, led by Salerna who had lived in Venice for a number of years before moving to Florence. Narcissa and Cissi ran before-hand, looking like two schoolgirls with their hands locked together and their giggling. Lucius and Salerna only rolled their eyes to their wives, and the two boys snickered.

When dinner began to approach, they finally got themselves ready to get back to Diablos' and Harry's manor. As they came back, the first thing Harry did was to race where his gifts were. That was now not such a small pile. The emerald-eyed boy stared at all the gifts in shock. Diablos came over and said:

"Well, there are many people at school who knows you, Harry."

"They sent this to me?"

"Most likely."

Draco and the boy roamed around the table looking through but not opening them. Diablos rolled his eyes and said:

"You can open them if you so wish."

The boy had apparently been waiting for the signal, since he began opening the one closest to him after checking who it was from. The adults seated themselves in the couches as they waited for the dinner. Harry exclaimed his thanks when he came across a gift from one of the people present in the room. In the middle of it all Sirius and Remus arrived with their gifts, and Diablos strategically placed Sirius and Severus far from each other, with Remus right next to Sirius who would stop the man if he tried anything. Luckily he behaved for Harry's sake.

Dinner came and went and soon it was time for everyone to go home. After a few minutes, only Harry, Diablos, Sirius and Remus remained in the manor. Diablos looked uncomfortable for a little while, and then claimed he had work to do. He almost fled the room a moment later. Sirius and Remus shook their heads and engaged Harry in some chess to get him off any other thoughts.

-o-

Harry was about to crawl into his bed when Diablos came inside. The boy smiled and watched as his uncle came and sat down.

"Hi," the man said and rubbed his head. "Sorry for just going away…"

"It's alright. Sirius taught me a prank or two to make up for it."

Diablos groaned at the thought and Harry happily threw his arms around the man's waist.

"Thanks for the presents," the emerald-eyed boy said.

"You're welcome. Now, bed."

Harry huffed but lay down. Diablos rose up and settled the covers over him.

"Good night," the boy said.

"Good night."

-o-

"I don't really want to."

"I know, but you have to."

"Why?"

"You need your education," Diablos repeated for the fifth time that morning. "And Draco will be there."

"But I'll probably end up in Gryffindor and he'll end up in Slytherin and then we won't see each other!"

"Gryffindor? Are you joking? You're a Ravenclaw through it all."

"Are you sure?"

"Either that or Slytherin. Poor Gryffindor won't stand a chance once you've started."

Harry looked at his uncle and asked:

"How was it, being in Slytherin?"

"It was alright. I didn't like the difference between Slytherin and Gryffindor and kept myself away from all that nonsense."

"Only you Dia can see being a normal teenager as nonsense," Harry muttered.

Diablos ignored him.

-o-

Harry was in a panic. It was the day before he was going to England and getting onto the train and he had not packed!

"Dia, I need help!"

The raven-haired man stepped inside and raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't inform me of the bomb that must have dropped into your bedroom," the man said dryly. "Neither was I aware of the explosion occurring; maybe I should go and check my hearing."

"Very funny! Help me!"

"Help you with what? You seem to be doing fine. If you are destroying your room, that is."

"Help me pack!"

Diablos took out his wand and levitated the trunk onto the bed.

"What clothes are you having with you?" the man asked.

Harry pointed to the neatly done pile. Diablos waved his hand and they swiftly packed themselves into the trunk. He continued with the school-books, parchments, quills and ink-bottles.

"See? Not that hard," he informed his nephew. Harry pouted at him. "Anything else?"

Harry gathered a few things and Diablos looked at them. James' old blanket was included and, to his surprise, a photo-album he knew he had given Harry. He let the boy pack it nonetheless and said:

"Everything finished now?"

"Yeah," the boy said. "I think so. What if I forget something?"

"I'll send it to you."

"What if I want to talk to you?"

"You got the two-way mirror Remus gave you."

"What if-?"

"What if there was not 'what ifs'?" Diablos said.

The raven-haired boy glared at his uncle and said:

"Are you gonna be okay on your own?"

"Harry, I've been on my own for some years…"

"Yeah, and how good were you feeling then?"

"I'm going to be fine. Salerna will come and pester me as usual, and I'm certain your new owl will as well. She seems to like to nip my fingers."

"Hedwig is nice," Harry said to defend his new owl. "She's smart."

"Yes, yes, I know. But she still likes to nip my fingers."

They had been in England to shop for Harry's new school year because in Italy they did not sell the books Harry needed. There they had seen the snowy white owl and Harry fell in love with her. Diablos figured his nephew needed an owl and bought it. 'Hedwig' as it was soon called, settled herself on Harry's shoulder and was quite unwilling to leave. However, they had not bought a wand in England; instead they had gone to a wand crafter Diablos knew who lived near the volcano Vesuvius. He had gotten his real wand there, and Harry had now gotten his wand there. Every wand was custom-made so it would fit the owner perfectly.

Harry was shooed to bed early, because the boy was too hyper for Diablos' taste. He waited around an hour before going to Harry's room. The boy was lying in his bed, but was turning too much to really be asleep. The raven-haired man stepped into the room and sat down. Harry sat up and they looked at each other. Finally the red-eyed man pushed him down and said:

"Sleep."

"I can't."

"Try."

The raven-haired boy glared at his uncle and Diablos slid to the side so he could sink down onto the bed as well. He propped himself up on one elbow and watched as his nephew made ready for another try. The man began humming an old melody, not really for himself but for Harry. The boy was oversensitive to some things, like music. Harry turned towards him, playing with some locks of Diablos' hair. His eyes slid close.

A few minutes later, the boy was asleep.

'Mission accomplished.'

-o-

Diablos shrunk the trunk and Harry took a pinch of Floo powder. He threw it into the fire and yelled "Malfoy Manor" before stepping in. Diablos looked at Hedwig and held his arm out. The owl settled on it and he said:

"We're going Flooing again, girl. You better hang on."

Hedwig burrowed up in irritation before accepting the tight hold he had on her. He repeated the same thing as Harry, and stepped through.

He released the sullen owl that climbed up to his shoulder and nipped his ear. Lucius smiled at him and said:

"You ready?"

"Ready as I can be," the man muttered. Harry took his hand and dragged him to the Apparation spot.

Draco was already waiting. He took a hold of his father so he could travel safely and the owl stared at Diablos. He sighed and nodded at her. The owl seemed to glare and then let herself be held again. Harry had his arms around Diablos' waist and they Apparated away.

-o-

Harry was given the shrunken trunk and cage to Hedwig by his uncle who then looked around the platform. Draco was swatting his father's hands away, but Lucius was determined to not let his son look so unclean.

"This is why you should have gone up earlier this morning," the blonde man said to his son. "If you had, I would never have done this!"

"Dad, quit!"

Diablos rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry. The boy had Hedwig on his shoulder but he kept a good grip on his uncle's robes.

"Harry, you're cutting off your blood-circulation if you hold any tighter," Diablos supplied.

Harry hugged him tightly instead of answering and Diablos felt him fists his small hands into the back of the robes instead.

"I'll miss you," the raven-haired boy said finally.

"And I'll miss you too, little raven." Harry nearly wanted to cry then; Diablos had not called him that for over two years. "Come on, let go of me. I won't disappear just because you start school."

Harry complied and looked up at him. The man really was not that much taller, but Harry enjoyed being cuddled by him because it was rare.

"Now remember…" the man said.

"Be wary of Albus Dumbledore," Harry finished.

"Just because he got a kind smile—"

"Doesn't mean he's the grandfather-figure he says he is," the boy said. "I know, Dia. And if he does any kind of Legilimens on me, go to whoever my Head of House is or tell you. I rather not tell you though."

"Why not?" Diablos asked, tilting his head.

"I rather not want you coming to England and killing the headmaster."

"I don't kill," Diablos sniffed. "I'll just ask Severus if I can borrow his dungeons for a while and hang the old man up there. Preferably with one of his damn lemon drops in his throat."

Harry rolled his eyes as he let his uncle feast on the image and turned to Draco. The boy had finally gotten his father's hands off him and said:

"We better get onto the train."

The boy nodded and that shook Diablos out from his fantasies. The boy reached around him and gave him one last hug.

"I'll talk to you later?" the emerald-eyed boy said, looking hopeful.

As an answer, Diablos patted the pocket where he had his two-way mirror. Harry grinned and took off with Draco beside him. Lucius and Diablos waved a bit and the blonde man then said:

"Would you like some lunch?"

"That would be nice," Diablos replied and dropped the arm abruptly. "Merlin, I feel like a brat again."

"Don't tell me you felt sad when you left your parents for the first time?"

"I was insecure, alright!"

Lucius could not help but chuckle at his friend, who only glared with his red eyes.

-o-

Harry and Draco got to an empty compartment and sat down. The train just started to move and Harry looked out the window. He laughed and said:

"Draco, your dad is getting the glare from Dia."

"What? I wanna see!"

Draco looked through the window and laughed as well.

"Diablos' glares are even worse than Sev's!" the blonde boy said. "He could scare even Dumbledore with that glare!"

The soon lost vision of their guardians and seated themselves again.

"Which house do you think you're gonna be in?" Draco asked.

"I'm hoping for either Ravenclaw or Slytherin," Harry replied. "And you?"

"Do you need to ask?"

"Oh, sorry, almighty prince of Slytherin," the boy said sarcastically and the blonde boy grinned.

They chatted back and forth until the witch with the trolley came. They bought some chocolate, since they both loved it, and settled down again. Suddenly a toad jumped through the open door and onto the seat next to Harry. He blinked as he looked at it. It stared right back at him. Draco looked at it as well and said:

"A toad?"

"Yeah," the raven-haired boy said and stood up. "I'll check whose it is."

He grabbed it gently and opened the door fully. There was only one student in the corridor. She had bushy brown hair and already dressed in her school robes. She was speaking to someone in the compartment a few steps away. She sighed and closed it.

"Looking for something?" the boy asked her.

"Yeah, actually," she said, a bit startled. "A boy's toad, Trevor."

"This one maybe?"

"Oh! Neville, your toad!"

A round-faced boy came out and Harry came over to give it to him. The girl looked at him, saw his scar and said:

"You're… Harry Potter?"

"Yes," the boy said. "And you?"

"Oh, sorry! I'm Hermione Granger, and this is Neville Longbottom!"

"Hi," Harry said. "Well, I guess I'll go back. You should learn Accio, Neville; it's much faster than chasing a toad around the place."

"But Accio isn't learned until like fourth year!" Hermione exclaimed.

"My uncle did it on me when I was smaller and ran away from him," the boy said and grimaced at the memory. "He's too lazy, the bloody bastard. I'll see you later."

They nodded happily and Harry went back. Draco looked up form the Chocolate Frog he was holding secure in his hands and raised an eyebrow.

"They were just a few compartments away," Harry said.

"Who were they?"

"Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom."

"Never heard of them. Or maybe I've heard something about Longbottom. But not Granger."

"Same here. Give me a frog."

"Hey, eat your own!" Draco exclaimed.

"I've already eaten them!"

"Then don't eat mine!"

-o-

The castle was really beautiful, Harry had to admit that. That was the only thing that really had let Diablos leaving the castle still liking it. Otherwise he did not seem to have many good memories of it.

He was riding a boat with Draco, Hermione and Neville. A redheaded boy had tried to get in, but that would have meant leaving Neville behind and the poor boy was looking far too nervous for that. So Harry had invited him instead of the redhead, and earned a glare for that. Not that he cared. Gah, he was sounding like Diablos!

They came to the shore and got out. The giant led them up to the castle, and opened the huge doors. A stern-looking witch was waiting for them, and immediately took command. She led them swiftly through the entrance hall that was simply huge. Harry stared all around him; Diablos had explained Hogwarts in vague terms, and seeing it for himself made the boy curse his uncle a bit. The man could never explain something straight out! Sometimes he wondered if his uncle was part Centaur because he sure acted like one from time to time.

She stopped them and began speaking:

"My name is Minerva McGonagall and I'm the Gryffindor Head of House. There are four houses in Hogwarts; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. You will all be sorted into one of these houses, and will stay with them for the rest of your education. Stay here while I inform the headmaster of your arrival."

She stalked into two huge doors into a room Harry could only assume being the Great Hall. The first years began talking excitedly with each other, and Hermione turned to Harry.

"By the way," she said a bit quietly. "I heard you aren't living in England?"

"I live in Italy," Harry replied.

"In Italy?" she asked, wide-eyed. "That's so cool!"

They began talking about Italy, and it seemed to make her relax. 'She must be a Muggleborn,' Harry mused. He had nothing against them; instead he was already growing rather fond over Hermione. She was a vibrant character once you got her talking about something she liked.

Draco added a comment now and then but was otherwise quiet. Neville was holding his toad close. McGonagall came soon back and said:

"This way, everyone."

She led them through the doors and into the Great Hall. Hermione looked up at the ceiling and proceeded to explain all about it, since it looked like they were looking at the sky outside. Harry knew this, but let her talk since it made her happy.

McGonagall stopped by a chair and an old-looking hat perched on top. She turned around to the first years but said nothing. Everyone was looking at the hat. Harry yawned, bored, and decided staring at the wall was more fun. The song started. Harry was not interested. Song ended, and Harry looked back.

"When I call your name, come up here and the hat will sort you", the stern-looking witch said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

And so it started. Rather boring but Harry knew better than to look bored so he settled on looking at the Head Table. He avoided Dumbledore and concentrated on Severus. The man raised an eyebrow before smirking a bit. Harry stuck out his tongue a bit and then heard:

"Granger, Hermione!"

"Good luck," he whispered at the girl. She nodded at him and stepped up. The hat was placed over her head and the hat was silent for a while. It then called out:

"Ravenclaw!"

Harry clapped politely with the others, and wondered where he was going to end up. Both of his parents had been in Gryffindor, but his uncle had been in Slytherin. And he had been blood-adopted after all.

Neville was placed in Gryffindor. 'Must be something I'm missing here,' the boy mused. Neville was a bit too nervous to be a Gryffindor.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Draco stepped up and the hat had barely touched his head before it roared out:

"Slytherin!"

Draco went over to the table and sat down. Harry waited some more.

"Potter, Harry!"

He stepped up, ignoring the whispers. Diablos had warned him about this. Just take it cool. 'Take it cool,' Harry reminded himself. 'Nothing can hurt you. Unless I end up in Hufflepuff; Dia promised to hang me up in the dungeons if THAT happened. And then demand a father-test.' That would actually be kind of amusing, but he wouldn't want to risk it.

He sat down and the hat dropped down his eyes.

"_Interesting,"_ he heard the hat saying. _"Blood-adoption by none other than the devil."_

'Dia isn't the devil,' Harry protested.

"_He sure acted like one."_

'True,' Harry thought with a wince.

"_Diablos aside,"_ the hat continued. _"You have quite an interesting personality here, Mr Potter. Hufflepuff is out of the question though."_

'Thank Merlin for that.'

"_You have some qualities for Gryffindor, but you are more like your uncle. Nope, no Gryffindor. So that leaves us two choices; Ravenclaw or Slytherin. You have equal part of cleverness and cunningness. My, you are a bit of Rowena and a bit of Salazar. Just like your dear uncle."_

'Just like my uncle?'

"_Yes, he was this sort of combination as well, but he chose Slytherin. What will you chose?"_

'I can't choose!'

The hat was silent for so long that everyone grew worried. Then to their amazement it shouted out:

"This child belongs to two houses! Ravenclaw and Slytherin!"

Harry groaned. 'Why can't I EVER be normal?'

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter five done! Not the ending you expected, right? Forgive me for grammar errors or stuff like that; I've been over at a friend's house and just got back. I didn't want to just go to sleep without giving you a new chapter!

Chapter six: They sort out how Harry's supposed to get on with school in two different houses. Some Dumbledore-manipulating, Diablos coming over and acting like the fierce little devil he is and some other things… maybe. Don't really know.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	7. Chapter 6

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-11**

-o-

**Chapter Six**

Silence. Dumbledore stared at the hat. So did everyone else though. Harry got the hat off his head and stood up. He put it down, turned to McGonagall and asked:

"Where should I sit?"

The witch looked shocked but regained her calm and said:

"Sit either at the Ravenclaw table or Slytherin table, Mr Potter."

Harry caught Draco's eyes and jerked his head a little towards Hermione, who was sitting alone. The blonde noticed, looked over and then inclined his head to say it was okay. The raven-haired boy walked over to the bushy-haired girl. The stern witch continued with the list.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed. "How-?"

"Don't even ask how," the boy groaned and let his head fall onto the table. "I don't even know myself. I don't think I want to know. No, I definitely don't want to know."

The sorting finished, and Dumbledore declared they could eat. His eyes were on Harry for a long time, though. Harry ignored it and began eating, realizing just how hungry he was.

-o-

"Mr Potter, the headmaster would like to see you," Flitwick said gently to the boy when the students had begun to move to get to bed.

Harry nodded, and waved at Hermione. She waved back before she disappeared. Severus walked up to them and arched an eyebrow. The small wizard nodded and said:

"Come along then, Mr Potter. Hopefully we will come to an agreement fast; I can imagine you are a bit tired."

"Yeah," the boy said. "I would like to sleep in Slytherin."

"Because of young Mr Malfoy?" Flitwick asked as they walked on. Harry nodded, a bit surprised that the wizard had seen the two together. "That shouldn't be a problem, right Severus?"

"It sounds perfectly agreeable for me," the potions master said.

They came to the gargoyle and Flitwick said:

"Lemon drops."

The boy arched an eyebrow but followed the small professor up, Severus just behind him. The door opened and they entered the office.

"Hello, Harry my boy," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Lemon drop?"

"No thank you," Harry said and sat down. "I imagine this is because of my sorting, sir?"

"Yes. We haven't had this as long as I can remember so it will be an interesting problem to tackle."

"I've already said to professor Flitwick and professor Snape that I would like to sleep in the Slytherin dorms," Harry said and saw the man frown. "My best friend Draco Malfoy is in Slytherin and I don't want to be away from him."

"But you sat down at the Ravenclaw table."

"That's because of Hermione Granger, sir," he said. "She was sitting alone, and I like her. She's nice, and I didn't want her to sit alone."

"That's very kind of you. Alright, you will be sleeping in Slytherin then. Your time-table will be ready for you tomorrow, as you will split your classes between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Where you spend your time the most, Slytherin or Ravenclaw, is up to you."

"Thank you, sir. Was that all…?"

"I found it interesting that you go here in Hogwarts while you're living in Italy."

'Here we go,' Harry thought and nearly rolled his eyes. He took a calming breath and said: "I wanted to go here because of my parents and my uncle. My uncle said it was okay, and made the necessary arrangements so I would be able to go here. That's all."

"And you enjoy being with your uncle?"

"Yes, very much," Harry said, daring the man to say anything bad about Diablos. "May I go now?"

"I would like a word alone with you, Harry. Severus, Filius?"

They both looked at unease but had to comply. Severus patted Harry's shoulder before leaving though. As soon as the door closed Dumbledore spoke again:

"Harry, I am very worried about you living with your uncle."

"Dia is nice."

"Dia?"

"I called him that instead of Diablos when I was little, and it has stuck. He doesn't seem particular upset about it."

"Is that so. Harry, you don't really know your uncle…"

"In fact, I know him better than anyone else," the raven-haired boy interrupted. "And if this is going to be a long talk about him, I refuse to say another word until he is here."

"Harry, I just want to make sure you are alright."

"I'm fine! Perfectly fine! Dia taught me to read and write, he taught me spells and what I can do and what I can't do and he didn't hurt me or call me any names like the Dursleys did!"

"What?"

"I remember only one thing from my very short time with them," Harry growled. "And that was the word 'freak' that they said to me. Or rather, screamed to me. Dia doesn't scream at me and he doesn't call me freak. I would like to leave now."

"Harry, I'm not quite finished."

"Well I am!" the emerald-eyed boy said. "I'm tired, and I want to go to bed."

He met the man's blue eyes, and felt an intrusion. He tore his eyes away and jumped up from the seat. He walked to the door and suddenly Dumbledore locked it. Harry spun around.

"Harry, sit down."

"No. I want my uncle here if you want to talk."

"Harry, what I want to say should not be mention to him."

"What makes you think I won't tell him about this?"

"You must learn the true nature of your uncle-"

He got no further as it knocked on the door. Dumbledore ignored it and said:

"Sit down, Harry, or I will make you."

"No!"

They heard the click in the lock and the door swung open to reveal Diablos himself with his arms crossed and his eyes almost devoured from anything else but red. Harry ran to him within an instant and hugged the man's waist tightly. One of the raven-haired man's arms came to rest over the boy's shoulders and he really lived up to his name at that moment.

"Albus," the man said.

"Diablos, what a surprise."

"Don't play nice with me, old man," the raven-haired man interrupted. "I already have promises from Flitwick and Severus that they will alert me if you ever lock yourself in a room with Harry, or if you ask him any unpleasant questions. You will leave him alone, or he will be gone from this school quicker than you can say Quidditch. Am I understood?"

Dumbledore nodded, fury in his eyes.

"Harry, go down to Severus and he will show you to the Slytherin dorm," Diablos said gently to the boy. "He's waiting just down there. You can ask any of your friends in Ravenclaw how to get to their common room later."

"Okay," Harry whispered. "Aren't you gonna come?"

"I just want to say some things to the headmaster."

Harry shot a glance to Dumbledore before squeezing the man's waist and disappearing down the stairs. Diablos looked up and Dumbledore rose.

"Now listen," the old headmaster roared. "You had no right to remove Harry from the Dursleys from the beginning and I will fight to return Harry to those he belongs to!"

Diablos slammed the door shut and Dumbledore widened his eyes as the eyes flashed. The younger man was angry, and he had a reason for it.

"No," Diablos said, unnaturally calm. "You will listen to me, Albus. You will not try to bring anyone into this, because you can't remove Harry from my care. It was in James' and Lily's will that I would raise him, and I will not break the trust my brother had with me."

"I can, and I will bring the Ministry in…"

"No you will not!" Diablos shouted, and the portraits on the walls cowered back. "Harry is my son, you manipulative old coot. He has my blood running through his veins now. Haven't you seen that he looks more like me than James?"

"Don't tell me you… no."

"Yes, Albus, I blood-adopted him. Just like the Potters adopted me. His looks changed unlike mine, but that's beside the point. What I want to say is that _you can't take him from me_. You can never take him from me."

Dumbledore was fuming and finally he got out:

"You are not going to win this."

"I've already won," Diablos said. "And you will never be able to manipulate him after your wishes."

"The Prophecy-!"

"What about it? I can teach him better if I so wish, but I don't believe in Prophecies."

"That will be your mistake, Diablos! The Prophecy has already begun and it cannot be stopped!"

"That's bullshit!" the red-eyed man said, curling his fingers like they were claws. He was soon going to attack unless he got out of here. "If you ignore a Prophecy after it's already been set in motion, it will not happen and you know that!"

"Diablos, I will have Harry where I want soon!"

"Over my dead body!"

"If you die, then I have no other option but to put him with the Dursleys!"

"You're threatening me? It won't work! If I die, I've already arranged so that someone else, someone I trust my life with, will take care of Harry! Someone who actually loves him!"

"Who?"

"Sirius Black, Harry's godfather," Diablos said. "He's free and has been that for a few years. He has already signed that should anything happen to me he will become Harry's guardian."

Dumbledore was almost chalk white in his face of fury.

"This is not over," he warned.

"Oh, this was over the moment James asked me to take care of Harry," Diablos taunted, his eyes flashing again. Dumbledore cowered back; Diablos looked ready to attack him bare-handed. "This was over before you even could think up an argument!"

The raven-haired man knew this was the limit, so he spun around on his heels and slammed the door open. He stalked down the stairs and came out in the corridor. To his surprise, Harry and Severus were still there along with Flitwick.

"Dia?" the boy asked, eyes wide at his uncle looks. Diablos' eyes were a clear red, and his teeth were bared in a snarl. He looked ready to tear someone apart, his fists clenching and unclenching. "Uncle?"

Diablos glared at the still open way and waved his arm so that they heard a crash in the office and Dumbledore's shout. He waved his arm once more and the gargoyle jumped back to place. Magic came off the frustrated Diablos and he needed to explode something or else…

Severus, already knowing what would happen, rushed forward and pressed a bottle into the raven-haired man's hands.

"Calming Draught," he murmured to the older male. "Drink it before you do something you regret."

Diablos downed it and the effects were immediate. His whole body relaxed and he leaned against the wall. He took a deep breath and let a hand rest over his face for a little while. Harry dared coming closer and smiled when Diablos drew him near. The man's body was shaking the tiniest bit, a small reminder of the fury he had emitted just moments ago, but the boy did not seem to care.

"Severus," Diablos said tiredly. "Can you show Harry to his dorm?"

The man carefully pulled Harry away. The boy whispered his goodbyes to his uncle and smiled as his uncle's thin hand caressed his cheek for a moment. Then it moved away and Harry waved at the man as he walked after Severus.

Flitwick looked at his old student and then to the direction of Dumbledore's office. He sighed and said:

"I guess Albus was a pain in the ass?"

"You swore," Diablos said.

"I have sworn before."

"But not to him."

"Sometime must be the first."

Diablos looked over at the tiny wizard and said:

"Of all the teachers I had during my years, I liked you the most, professor."

"It's not professor anymore. Call me Filius at least."

Diablos looked down at the floor and then whispered:

"Take care of Harry."

"Wouldn't dream of anything else," Flitwick replied with a smile.

-o-

Draco looked up as Harry entered the dorm. The other boy they shared a dorm with, Theodore Nott, was already asleep but the blonde wanted to wait on Harry.

"You okay?" he asked once he saw the raven-haired boy's pale face.

"Dia was here, and he and Dumbledore were shouting," Harry said with a wince. "I've never heard Dia shout like that so it was kinda scary."

He undressed and lay down on the bed. Draco got up and walked over. Harry looked at him and said:

"I'm okay. Dia was pissed off though, and Severus had to give him a Calming Draught before he did something more than shouting."

The blonde nodded and with a last glance he went back to his own bed.

-o-

Hermione surprised everyone by coming to the Slytherin table and sitting down. Some of the Slytherins glared at her, but she held her head high and ignored them. Draco and Harry greeted her and scooted apart so she could sit between them.

No one in Slytherin seemed particular upset about having Harry in their house, not after seeing the boy glaring at the headmaster with hatred in his eyes.

"Guys," the girl said and they turned to her. "I don't know if you felt it, but there was something strange coming off in waves last night. It was really scary."

"Waves? Oh, must've been my uncle, so no problem."

"Your uncle?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed and stared at Harry.

"Yeah, magic comes off in waves from him when he's really pissed," the emerald-eyed boy explained. "I guess the talk with Dumbledore didn't go so well."

"Your uncle is like that?"

"No, not normally. He's cool, but it seems like the headmaster and he are in a very bad relationship to each other. It just took a few moments before they started shouting."

Hermione looked at Dumbledore and said:

"Do you like the headmaster, Harry?"

"After what the headmaster shouted? Nope. I don't like him one bit," Harry said. "He wanted to put me with my mum's relatives."

"And you don't want that?"

"I don't want to be called freak for the rest of my life, thank you very much."

"They call you freak?" Hermione said angrily. "Why?"

"Because I'm a wizard," Harry said, amused by her reactions.

"That's not an excuse to call a child freak!" she muttered as she spread butter on her toast. "Freak; tell me the address and I'll send mum and dad to yell at them."

Harry and Draco laughed at her, but she was serious. Under almost hysterical chuckles Harry told her the address (or he hoped it was the right since Diablos had only mentioned it once when the boy asked, and he had said it through gritted teeth too) and she promised to send it to her parents.

Soon the potions master came and gave out time-tables. Harry took his and saw they had tried to combine as many as they could as Ravenclaw and Slytherin, so he would be with both of his houses at the same time. He had Potions with Slytherin and Gryffindor though and Charms with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Hermione and Draco were both happy they both could have their friend in most of their classes.

"Good you're with me in Potions," Draco said. "I don't like Gryffindors."

"Oh, Charms is with our Head of House. Do you think it's a hard subject?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Dia taught me a little about every subject, and Charms can be quite fun," Harry replied.

"What do you like the most?" the bushy-haired girl asked.

"Defence, Potions and Transfiguration," Harry replied. "Transfiguration after I accidentally turned Cissi's hair to grass."

"You what?" Hermione burst out while giggling. Draco laughed and said:

"Oh, I remember when you told me that! Her face was priceless when you said that, and then she chased you around the manor!"

"Who's Cissi?" Hermione asked.

"One of my uncle's best friend. She is married to a guy named Salerna, who was Dia's first friend. They both live in Italy."

"What do you uncle work with?" Hermione asked, unaware that several Slytherins were listening.

"He's a teacher," Harry replied. "At Italy's Auror School."

"Aurors?" the girl asked.

"Oh, forgot you don't know some things. Think it as the magical version of police-men," the boy said. "He teaches Dark Magic along with its siblings."

"So he's strong?"

"I think so. I've never seen him fight. Oh, and he's a healer as well."

"A healer? Wow… your uncle is a lot."

Harry chuckled at her awed face. Draco poked on them and said:

"Come on, class are gonna start soon and I don't want to be late."

"I got Potions first with Draco. What do you have Hermione?"

"I have Transfiguration."

"You just have it alone the first time. The next time you're having it, on Thursday you're having with us."

"I'll see you guys later?"

"Yep!"

She walked towards the Transfiguration classroom while Harry and Draco walked to the dungeons. Harry noticed the students in Gryffindor looked at him and sneered. He shrugged it off, knowing about the hostility of the houses.

"Traitor!"

Harry turned around at hearing the word and looked at a redheaded boy. Harry blinked. It was the boy from yesterday, who wanted to ride in the boat with them.

"Traitor?" he repeated.

"Yeah, traitor!" the boy said.

"Why am I a traitor?"

"Because everyone in Slytherin are slimes and evil people! That's why you, a Potter and the Boy-Who-Lived, is a traitor!"

"I dare you saying it again, Weasley!" Draco said and was about to whip out his wand. Harry stopped him and said:

"Come on. He isn't worth wasting our time on."

Draco glared at Weasley and then whirled around and followed Harry. The Weasley was white of fury because the casual dismissal and whipped his wand out.

"Weasley! First day, first class and you are already longing for a detention?"

Most of the students flinched at hearing the icy voice of Severus Snape. He threw the classroom-door open and hissed:

"Get inside, and not a word."

Draco and Harry winked at the potions master, who fought back a smirk to them. The two boys waited until everyone except had walked in before imitating bats. Severus hit them lightly over the head and scoffed.

"Get in you brats," he said fondly.

Harry walked in, and wondered how this class would be.

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter six finished, and a small cliffy!

Chapter seven: The first potions class, and the rest of the day… week? Dunno… depends on how long it's gonna take.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	8. Chapter 7

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-13**

-o-

**Chapter Seven**

Severus stalked through the room to his desk, and the only sound was his foot-steps. Draco and Harry had seated themselves on the Slytherin side of course and around in the middle. Draco sat so he was shielding Harry from the Gryffindors because most of them glared. However, the emerald-eyed boy noticed Neville look at him with something akin to pity. Harry smiled to him, and the clumsy boy gave a shy smile in return and then gestured this was going to be hell. Harry made thumbs up and mouthed 'Good luck'. Neville returned with an 'I'm gonna need it.'

"Now," Severus said and everyone's attention was on him. "This is the first Potions class, but I would like to make some points clear already now. Firstly; follow my instructions at all time. If I find out you haven't, I will be more than delighted to throw you out head-first. Secondly; if I say you will shut up, you will shut up. If I say jump, you will ask how high. Here, in this room, it's my rules. You break anyone of them, along with throwing you out I will place a note on you saying 'Stupid'. Thirdly; no destruction of other potions. I don't care if you are mortal enemies; you will not have your private war in my classroom. Is that all understood?"

They nodded quickly.

"Well, that's the first," Severus muttered. "Potions are delicate things to create. You can't just throw in a little of that, and a little of this and then stir it around and expect to have a perfectly made Veritaserum. Sloppiness is not accepted. Weasley, I thought I just said no private war."

"I'm not doing anything, sir," Ron gritted out.

"Your glare tells me something else," the potions master said. "Five points from Gryffindor; refrain yourself from starting a war in this classroom."

"Five points? That's not fair you-!"

"You want more points taken away?" Severus said and the redhead looked furious but kept quiet. "Keep your mouth shut unless I tell you otherwise."

Ron ignored Harry for the rest of the class, for which the boy was glad for. He did not like the redhead one bit, and wondered if he and Bill were related. Was not going to ask the redhead though; it could be to an advantage that he knew Bill but the rest of the Weasleys did not know that fact.

-o-

Diablos looked at the picture on his desk. It was of Harry, taken not long ago in the man's own office at the school. He was waving towards the raven-haired man and said man offered a weak smile in response. Harry loved it when Diablos brought him alone to the school, and could remembered perfectly the first time he did:

_Harry was bouncing on Diablos' hip and the man did not really have heart to stop the energetic boy. He walked into the school and prepared himself for a lot of stares and questions._

"_Professor, about our lesson toda…a… huh?"_

_Diablos looked over at the student and arched an eyebrow. Miles shook himself out of it and cocked his head while saying:_

"_A child, professor?"_

"Yes, a child," Diablos replied.

"_Whose?"_

"_Mine."_

"_You don't have kids."_

"_Alright, my nephew. I got custody of him when my brother died."_

_Meanwhile, Harry had found Diablos' hair and started chewing on it. Miles found it hilarious to watch. Diablos sighed, tugged his hair away and said:_

"_Something about my lesson?"_

"_Aah, that's right. Are we going to duel anything today?"_

"_No, it's theory today."_

"_Good, because my leg was broken a few days ago and I'm not allowed to duel."_

_Diablos nodded and groaned as he saw his female students and fellow teachers. Miles grinned and said:_

"Well, good luck coming to your classroom in time with that fellow with you!"

_It took him twenty minutes getting through while it normally should just take five. When he entered the still empty classroom he breathed a sigh of relief and Harry gurgled._

"_You are a little monster," Diablos said to him. "Who knew you would be so much trouble?"_

_Harry placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek as a reply._

Aah, good memories. Without the fighting through masses of people of course.

"You' spacing out."

Diablos looked up at Salerna who came inside and sat down onto the desk. He took one of his younger friend's hands and rubbed the palm soothingly as Diablos returned his gaze to the framed picture.

"He's fine," Salerna said.

"You should've heard that old man," the red-eyed man said. "If I didn't know better, I would suspect Dumbledore would put an Imperio over Harry just to control him."

"What?"

"He is going to fight me," Diablos said. "Fight over Harry, place Harry with the Dursleys. He's going to try taking Harry away."

"And he has to deal with Italy then," Salerna said and leaned closer. "The Italian Minister will make a big scene and send out a team of our Aurors, which many you have trained, to collect Harry."

"Maybe I should've sent a team with him from the start," Diablos said with a weak chuckle.

"Or at least one."

"Where are you trying to lead this to?"

"An Auror from us sent to England to watch over Harry. Just in case that Dumbledore fellow doesn't want to let go of him at the end of the year."

-o-

Miles Hartrow was an Englishman but had lived in Italy for some years. He attended the Auror School in Italy and was now a fully trained Auror in the Italian forces.

He was a bit surprised when he saw his old endurance teacher wave him over from the café in the Ministry.

"Professor?" he said as he looked at the white-haired man.

"Salerna," the man corrected. "Are you bored?"

"Deathly."

"You want something to do?"

"And what would that be?" Miles asked.

"How about a certain English school and a certain young wizard whose guardian is a certain terrifying red-eyed devil?"

-o-

Harry was on his way to the library when he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and gaped.

"Miles!" he hissed as the Auror dragged him into a classroom. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Making sure Dumbledore doesn't do funny tricks," Miles replied with a cheeky smile.

"Dia sent you?"

"Nope. Salerna did."

"Salerna? Why did he…?"

"He said Diablos looked depressed, and thought the knowledge of an Auror loyal to you would make him happier."

"Did it work?"

"Dunno; I just arrived. Dumbledore is a prick."

"You don't need brains to figure that out. Wait… you've met him?"

"I'm a pretty good liar, and I thank Diablos of all my heart who taught me Occlumency."

"What are you supposed to be then?"

"An Auror sent here to make sure nothing happens to anyone."

"Just one?"

"They didn't think they would need to send out a whole team."

"What's your name?"

"Fabian Grahmson," Miles replied. "Working at the English Ministry of course."

"What if he checks?"

"Then he'll find Fabian Grahmson, located on Hogwarts with the intent of making sure everything is alright," the man said. "Don't worry too much."

Harry looked at the blonde-haired man and then nodded.

"Off you go then," the man said happily.

-o-

"_Winner, Santino. Kay please pay attention to your opponent, not Harry."_

_The girl pouted at Diablos and said:_

"_But he's so cute! You probably put him there so we would all loose!"_

"_No I did not put him there for that reason."_

"_But there has to be something! Why else does he always wink when we look at him?"_

"_He's an attention-seeker, Kay. Ignore him."_

_The class laughed as Kay fell for the trick again and waved as Harry waved._

"_Harry, please stop corrupting my students," Diablos said with a sigh. "Merlin, the enemy just have to transform into a child and they will win over all of you."_

"_Unfair!" the students shouted and Harry giggled._

"Have you slept?"

"Yes, mother."

"Have you eaten breakfast?"

"Yes, mother."

"So that's why you have dark rings under your eyes and your stomach is growling?"

"You never asked when I had slept and when I had eaten."

Salerna glared at Diablos. The man smiled weakly and continued:

"I did sleep and eat, but I'm hungry again and I was tired when I woke up."

"When did you eat?"

"An hour ago."

"And already hungry again?"

"More or less," Diablos said. "Food?"

"When do you have a class?"

"In thirty minutes."

"Let someone else take it if you aren't done by then," Salerna said.

-o-

Having Miles at Hogwarts made Harry relax. Of course, no one knew that they knew each other and they intended to keep it that way. They spoke a lot with each other, but if asked about it Harry told everyone he might be interested in becoming an Auror when he grew up.

The first week was interesting to say the least. He spent his time mostly in the library with Hermione and Draco. Hermione had been invited to the Slytherin common room, and Draco to the Ravenclaw common room. As long as the two would not share the passwords with anyone, it was okay with the others. Even the Slytherins accepted Hermione in their common room.

Harry found the Ravenclaw common room very nice and everyone was polite and happy to hear that he liked studying.

Hermione had found a friend in Padma Patil, whose twin Parvati was in Gryffindor. The two girls had always been close, but only a few days after they had begun Parvati had said she never wanted to talk to Padma again. The Ravenclaw had been really upset and had been lucky the trio had been there. Since then, Hermione and Padma always were together in the Ravenclaw common room and during classes when Harry and Draco were not there. Otherwise, the four sat down together and nothing could change that.

The classes were interesting too. Harry loved Transfiguration and Potions the most. Defence was somewhat of a disappointment because of the stuttering professor Quirrel but he did not complain about it.

Some of the classes were easy though. Flitwick had bounced on his feet when Harry could do Accio, a spell only taught in fourth year. The tiny professor made the boy summon all kinds of things so they could watch. The man had not even cared when Harry said Diablos had taught him a few spells. Instead, Flitwick looked overjoyed and proud instead; a clear sign he had always liked Diablos.

The dinner on Friday was suddenly upon them, and Harry had been on Hogwarts for a week. He was actually looking forward to the following week, the following month and the following year. Of course he missed his uncle every day, but they spoke through the mirror as often as they could. Harry noted that he sometimes looked very tired and was a bit worried. He had written a letter to Salerna with firm orders that he would take care of the raven-haired man for Harry.

The Slytherins had accepted that Hermione would sit down with Harry and Draco sometimes at breakfast, lunch or dinner, and did not really react as she and Padma sat down for dinner instead of going to the Ravenclaw table. Padma was a little nervous but they had placed her between Hermione and Harry so she would feel safer.

"So, what are we going to do this weekend?" Draco asked.

"I want to finish the assignment to Severus," Harry said with a shrug.

"Harry, what he gave you was fifth-year material."

"And? I still want to finish it and give him a heart-attack."

"That's not nice," Padma teased.

"I was taught by the best."

The four children laughed as they continued to chat, ignoring Dumbledore's glares. This… nonsense would stop. Soon, Harry would be in Gryffindor where he belonged and not even Diablos would be able to come and get him. He just needed to prove to the Minister that Slytherin was too dangerous for little Harry, and Ravenclaw would not accept him. Gryffindor would wait with their arms open and gentle smiles.

Yes… that was perfect.

Too bad Diablos hated perfect.

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter seven done, yay. Didn't check one last time for grammar errors, so don't get upset if you find any.

Chapter eight: The following weeks up to Halloween. Interactions between Harry and Ron, arguments, flashbacks and how Diablos is doing without his resource of smiles and happiness. I think...

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	9. Chapter 8

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-13**

-o-

**Chapter Eight**

Diablos yawned as Salerna came walking into the classroom. The man had been doing better than in the beginning when Harry was gone, but everyone noticed how much he missed the boy.

"How long did you sleep?" the white-haired man asked, as usual.

"Five hours," Diablos mumbled and continued to read.

"Eaten anything?"

"Yes, mother."

"Just following Harry's orders."

"Don't you think he asks me those questions every day?" the man said and looked at Salerna.

"Yes, but it's my job getting food in you and make you sleep."

"I'm fine. Don't you have class?"

"Not until another half-hour."

"So you're going to pester me until then?"

"But of course, my dear. That's my favourite passing of time."

"I hate you…"

"I know you love me, darling."

"Don't call me that," Diablos deadpanned.

-o-

Harry looked at the note and his eyebrow twitched. Draco noticed and said:

"What's wrong?"

Harry gave the note to the blonde and caught Severus' eyes. The man understood it was something and came from the Head Table to the Slytherins. Draco gave the note to Severus in rage and turned to Harry and hissed:

"What the bloody hell is that old man thinking?"

"What's wrong?" Padma asked. "What was the note, Harry?"

"A note from Dumbledore," Harry replied quietly. "He wrote he needed to speak to me alone because of the sorting hat's mistake and that I wouldn't tell anyone about it."

"Mistake?" Hermione asked.

"He insisted my sorting was wrong," Harry said. "My parents were in Gryffindor, and therefore I should be in Gryffindor."

"But you aren't," Padma said. "My parents were Gryffindors too, but I'm in Ravenclaw. He shouldn't care where you were sorted."

"He doesn't get I'm more like my uncle," the raven-haired boy said. "My uncle was in Slytherin but he's really smart. The sorting hat said my uncle could choose between Slytherin and Ravenclaw and he made a choice."

"But the sorting hat put you in both houses?" Padma said.

"Probably just to make everyone go crazy," Hermione said and Harry laughed.

"Probably," he agreed.

"I'm going to take this up with Filius and Albus," Severus said quietly to the boy. "Then I and Filius will tell Diablos; hold your thumbs he won't come here and curse Albus to oblivion."

"I'll ask Salerna to put him under a full body bind until he's calmed down."

"I think we need that," the potions master muttered as he walked away.

-o-

"He's dead."

"I know."

"I am seriously going to kill him."

"Yeah, but let's wait until they won't suspect you."

"They'll always suspect me. And no, I'm not going there now so stop pointing your wand towards me!"

"Your eyes are scary, Diablos."

The raven-haired man blinked and Salerna sighed of relief as the now nearly completely red eyes now had blue leaking in, and the strange glittering vanished the more the red retreated. He put his wand away and stepped up to the man.

"Severus and Filius told Dumbledore off though," Diablos said with a chuckle. "I would have loved to see that."

The chuckle was strange and Salerna put a careful hand to the man's shoulder. Diablos relaxed and said:

"I'm not going to snap. I'm fine for now."

"For now?"

"Yeah. I will be fine."

Salerna tucked the raven hair back behind the red-eyed man's ear and smiled.

"I know you will," he replied.

-o-

"How long are you going to follow me?"

Ron stiffened in the shadows but then stepped out. Harry looked at him and continued:

"I don't like being followed, so stop it."

"How do you know I'm following you?" the redhead asked with a sneer.

"Why else would you be in the shadows and having put a charm to ease your footsteps? What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"You don't follow people for nothing. What do you want?"

"I want to know why you're a traitor."

"Again with the traitor thing? I don't get why you think I'm a traitor."

"You're the Boy-Who-Lived and you're in Slytherin."

"Ravenclaw-Slytherin. Two houses; that's a difference."

"That the hat even shouted out Slytherin made you a traitor."

"I'm sick of the traitor talk," the emerald-eyed boy said. "My uncle was a Slytherin and he's not evil."

"He is. He took you away from England! He took you away from those you should be with!"

"Something I'll never stop thanking him for. He's not evil."

"He is! Everyone in Slytherin is evil! They are all traitors!"

"Traitors are evil?"

"Yeah, they are!"

"Then Gryffindor is evil as well."

"No it's not!" Ron screamed.

"Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor, and he betrayed my parents," Harry said with a dangerous tone. "He practically killed them. He betrayed me, he betrayed Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. He sold my parents to Voldemort. Don't talk to me about evil."

Harry stalked off to the closest common room, Ravenclaw, and left Ron staring after him.

-o-

"Harry?"

The boy sat down next to Hermione and Padma, and just shook his head a little before letting it rest in his hands.

"You alright?" Padma asked.

"Ron Weasley was following me," Harry said. "Not when I came here, of course… it was earlier, a few floors down."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Because I'm a traitor," Harry said with a snort. "Merlin, does it even exist a brain inside that big head of his?"

"By the way he is talking, probably not," Hermione said with a snort of her own.

-o-

"_Dia, up!"_

_Diablos looked down at four-year old Harry and then over the classroom. Some of them tried to stifle their giggles as they looked at their red-eyed teacher._

_He sighed, put his quill down and lifted the boy up into his lap. Harry immediately latched into his work-robes and curled up. Diablos picked up the quill again and continued writing, successfully ignoring the giggles that did come out from his students. After a while however he looked up and said:_

"_Anyone who would like to experience a Crucio?"_

_Dead silence._

"_Thought so. Get back to work."_

He blinked and looked around. Living room? Aah… right, living room. He was in his living room. Why was his head buzzing? And why was everything blurry?

His hand dropped the wine bottle and the thud made him jump, groaning as his head pounded. Downing a bottle of wine in a few seconds maybe was not the smartest idea he had ever done. He better get to bed before Salerna discovered him.

Bed…

Bed…

Right, he was going to bed. If he only could get up from the chair without falling to the floor. He was feeling awfully dizzy.

A gentle hand on his arm, and then Diablos was pulled up and into a strong chest.

"Bad Diablos," Salerna murmured as the man whimpered at the pounding of his head. "How fast did you drink that bottle?"

"Few… seconds, I think," Diablos slurred.

"Merlin, that wine have too much alcohol to be drunk normally! What were you thinking?"

"Not thinking at all?" Diablos tried, moaning as the loud volume. Why did Salerna have to shout?

"Idiotic child," the white-haired man muttered and heaved him up on one shoulder. Diablos yelped at the sudden lift but Salerna did not stop.

"Salerna, I think I'm gonna be sick…" the man mumbled as they closed in to the red-eyed man's bedroom.

The white-haired man shifted him so he was no longer upside-down, went into the bathroom and let Diablos throw up. The raven-haired man did not feel Salerna supporting him; instead he just tried to breathe.

"Idiot," Salerna repeated as Diablos retched.

"I just wanted… to sleep."

"You don't drink yourself unconscious when you want to sleep!"

"… Shut up."

Salerna growled, frustrated and crouched down. Diablos' face was pale and covered with a thin layer of sweat.

"Why are you doing this?" the older man asked as he gently cleaned his friend's face.

Diablos shrugged and said:

"It was stupid."

"I know it was, darling," Salerna said and this time Diablos did not protest on the nickname. "Come on, let's get you to bed so I can take away all the alcohol you have in this house."

Diablos managed to wobble all by himself to the bed and collapsed on it. Salerna removed his boots and outer robe before tucking him in.

"Not a child," Diablos mumbled.

"Well, you certainly acts like one right now," Salerna said with a huff. "And if I find any alcohol here after I've checked the house, you're going to be sorry."

"So alcohol is a big no-no now?"

"For this year, yes. Maybe you get a glass at New Year."

"Asshole."

"Happy to be at service."

The red-eyed man huffed before falling asleep. Salerna sat down and looked at his friend. So young and already so destroyed. So young in body yet so old in mind.

"You don't make life for me easy, did you know that?" the white-haired man whispered.

-o-

Harry tapped the table, looking at his two-way mirror. Hermione and Draco noticed he was frowning and not concentrating on homework at all.

"Are you stuck?" the girl asked carefully and pointed on his essay.

"No," he mumbled and shook his head. "Just off in another world."

"Has it something to do with Diablos?" the blonde asked. "You've been staring at the mirror for the last half-hour."

"Just worried how he's doing it alone," Harry said. "The Manor isn't the nicest place being alone in. I was once, and I hated the house after three hours."

"Why?"

"It's lonely there," the boy said and put the mirror away. "I don't want Dia to be alone."

"I'm sure Salerna is pestering him enough," Draco offered. "If not, I can ask dad to go there and pester him."

"Might be a good idea," Harry said. "Otherwise I'll have a hell at Christmas."

-o-

_Diablos looked up at the sound of soft footsteps and saw Harry clutching a blanket bought not many hours before. The boy's eyes were red-rimmed and his lower lip was trembling. The man set aside his work, strode up and easily lifted his nephew up. Harry threw his arms around his neck and sniffed quietly. _

"_What's wrong?" Diablos gently asked the four-year old child. Normally he did not do these kind of things, but had realized quite quickly Harry was in need of a cuddle._

"_Bad dream," the boy said. "Mean people came and said they would take me away."_

"_No one is going to take you away," Diablos reassured as he walked back to Harry's room. As he came there, he put his nephew down onto the bed and sat down next to him. "And if they try, they will have the whole Auror School running behind them because you've charmed every one of them."_

_Harry smiled shyly and let his uncle tuck him in._

"_No bad dreams tonight?" Diablos asked._

"_Maybe…" Harry gave the man a pleading look._

_The red eyes rolled but Diablos leaned down and gently kissed his nephew's forehead. Waves of calm magic washed over the small boy and he fell asleep within minutes._

Diablos jerked himself awake and rubbed his tired eyes. He was sitting by his desk, his grading far from over. It was already midnight though and he was tired so he transfigured a chair nearby to a bed. He fell into it and kicked his boots off. The robe was thrown onto the floor and he hugged a pillow close to his chest.

He never noticed Salerna stepping inside. The white-haired man chuckled, dimmed the lights and went back home.

-o-

"Honestly, why are you calling me traitor all the time?" Harry asked with a sigh as Ron went red… again. "You've been stalking me all since I began here, it's getting bothersome."

"You aren't the Boy-Who-Lived," the Weasley sneered.

"Wow, for once you're right. No, I'm not the Boy-Who-Lived; my name is Harry Potter," the boy replied.

"Harry Potter is the Boy-Who-Lived but you are neither."

"Strange, considering you don't know me but you can tell who I am? Let's just do it this way; you go to wherever you spend your free time, I got to wherever I spend my free time and we'll stop this nonsense."

Ron sneered but Harry had already walked away.

-o-

"_Traitor!"_

_Diablos looked at his little brother, only five years old and already hatred in his eyes. _

"_James!" Mary shrieked. "That was completely uncalled for! Apologize to your brother right now!"_

"_Never!" five-year old James Potter cried. "He's a traitor, and I hate him!"_

_The small boy ran out from the living room, leaving Mary, John and Diablos alone. It was Christmas and Diablos had only been at Hogwarts for one term. John got up and said:_

"_I'll talk to him."_

_He squeezed Diablos' shoulder and then went to __find his youngest child._

"_I'm sorry honey," Mary said and stroke Diablos' cheek, knowing he would not allow anything more. "I guess we've told him too many stories about bad Slytherins. We shouldn't have said anything; we should've have told him some of them were Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws. Or maybe even Gryffindors, so he would be a bit more open-hearted to everything."_

"_Mother, stop it," the red-eyed child said, blinking a few times. He refused to cry over this; he refused to feel anything. It was easier to ignore everything. He looked away and continued quietly: "I don't think I will come home for Christmas anymore."_

_Mary looked at her eldest son, and he stood up. He was already an adult, she realized. He was still short and quite thin, but his eyes were already old. __They had always been old, ever since she first saw him._

"_Diablos…"_

"_I'm going to bed," he announced. "A train leaves for Hogwarts tomorrow. I'm going to take it."_

"_No, Diablos, you don't have to…"_

"_He doesn't want me here," Diablos said, and let his mother see the sadness in his eyes for a moment. "And I don't want to see hatred in his eyes."_

_The boy left. Mary already knew something was broken within their little family. Something had gone lost this night, and would never be back as long as James hated his own brother._

Diablos sat up and out of habit threw his pillow across the room. His red eyes were tear-filled and he wiped at them furiously as Lucius came in to see what the noise had been. He had a free day and checked on the man but as he had still been asleep the blonde had seated himself in a sitting-room nearby with a book.

Lucius watched the man stumble out of bed and steady himself at the desk nearby while holding a hand over his eyes.

"Diablos?"

The raven-haired man whipped his head around, and the blonde man widened his eyes as he saw the tears.

"What's wrong?" he asked the red-eyed man. Diablos choked back a sob and began to walk to the bathroom but Lucius stopped him. "Tell me what's wrong."

"I just had a bad dream," Diablos mumbled. "They happen; I'm fine."

"You're nearly breaking down. Tell me what's wrong."

Diablos was quiet for a while.

"James hated me," he said suddenly, voice calm and quiet. Pained, and lost as well. Lucius listened. "He hated me for being put in Slytherin. He hated me for even going to Hogwarts and leaving him alone. He hated me for six years, and I… I…"

Diablos hid his eyes again but the blonde pulled the hand away.

"And you?"

"I just wanted him to smile at me again," Diablos whispered. "But he didn't. Not for six years. Oh Merlin, it's so stupid to break down in tears because of that."

He wiped his tears and began pulling away. Lucius would have none of it.

"Diablos, did you ever mourn James?"

"Of course I did!" The man looked offended and the blonde man nearly stopped. Just nearly. But then he steeled himself and said:

"No, you didn't."

Diablos stared at Lucius. The blonde held the gaze.

"You didn't," he repeated softly. "You just pretend you have. You haven't gotten over him. I can see that, Diablos. How your eyes gets distant every time you mention him, every time you talk about him. You still mourn him, deep inside."

The red-eyed man looked down, breathing deeply but the tears still prickled his eyes.

"What was I supposed to do?" Diablos said finally. "He died, and suddenly I had Harry. I couldn't… I just couldn't break down and cry when he was here."

"He isn't here now."

Diablos looked at the blonde as if he was crazy. Lucius shrugged and said:

"You've been keeping it in far too long. Let James go. Let it all out."

Diablos' shoulders started to shake. His hands came up to cover his face. Lucius' grip tightened. The raven-haired man gave out a cry before he finally let himself mourn for his little brother.

-o-

"Dia, what happened?"

Diablos smiled tiredly into the mirror, knowing he looked awful.

"It's nothing," he said with a small laugh. "I just had a cry-session; it's good for the soul."

"Dia," Harry tried.

"Seriously, it's nothing," Diablos said. "I kept things to myself for a little too long. I just let it rush out today, and I'm fine now."

"Really?"

"Really. Now what happened today?"

"Nothing much," Harry said, though still looking worried. "Weasley is still following me around. Severus gives me some extra-material to work on, Hermione is fretting about how stupid Padma's sister is and Draco is bored."

"Same old thing?"

"Same old. Oh, there was one thing. There will be a party on Halloween, and we can invite our family."

"Oh, and?"

"Dia, don't look like that! I want you to come! Lucius has already said yes, so you and he can run from Dumbledore all night long! Please, I want to see you again."

"I guess I will come then."

"Yes! You get to see Hermione's mom and dad, and you'll meet Mrs Longbottom and Padma's parents and lots of people!"

"Mrs Longbottom; could that be Augusta Longbottom?"

"Yes, I think her name is that. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. I just think she might accept me. She's Neville's grandmother, right?"

"Yeah. He's really nervous about letting her come and stuff like that, she seems strict."

"Yes, she can be quite terrifying when she wants to."

-o-

"He's stupid," Draco muttered.

"Should we ignore him?" Padma asked nervously.

"How about we go and tell him to sod off?" Hermione suggested.

They were talking about Ron who was glaring at them from across the room, only stopping to wolf down some food.

"I think we should follow Padma," Harry said and continued with his meal. "Let's talk about something else than Ron Weasley and his stupid looks; Halloween."

"My mum and dad want to meet your uncle," Padma said. "They say they think they know who he was."

"My parents want to meet Diablos as well," Hermione continued. "I want too, as well."

"Many apparently want," Harry muttered. "He's just Diablos."

"He's not just Diablos," Draco said. "He's _the_ Diablos."

"Whatever."

But however cool and gathered he acted, Harry was actually quite ecstatic to let Diablos come here. Halloween would be so much fun.

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter eight done FINALLY! AND I forgot to bring my stories with me this weekend when I was with mum! She nearly went crazy because I was climbing the walls!

Chapter nine: Halloween. Hogwarts' inhabitants get to meet the devil. Maybe a troll will be here, maybe not. We'll see.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	10. Chapter 9

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-13**

-o-

**Chapter Nine**

Harry was almost bouncing by the time they were going down to meet their guardians. Hermione and Padma found it funny and Draco grinned. Neville kept himself quiet and still, not wanting to be noticed by anyone or anything. Ron had glared at him when he went to meet the raven-haired boy and his friends so therefore he was not in his best spirits. The raven-haired boy noticed Miles watching him a bit and sent the Auror a smile, showing everything was alright. Miles nodded, almost invisibly, and then moved on.

"Chill out, Harry," the blonde said when Harry had not calmed down. "You spoke to him yesterday."

"Draco, I've never been away from him this long! Oh, here they come!"

Hermione and Padma began looking for their parents while Draco asked them to tell him if they saw two blonde-headed adults with each other. Neville almost did not want to look after his grandmother, she was known to not like Slytherins but gave in and glanced around to see if she was nearby.

"Dia!" Harry shouted in excitement, and the girls and the Gryffindor looked to see who Harry's uncle was.

Their eyes widened as they saw a man with red eyes walking up to them. His raven hair was pooling down his shoulders and he was dressed in a simple black robe with a dark blue cloak over himself. He looked behind himself and they saw the two Malfoys move towards them. Then a white-haired man and a brown-haired woman came as well.

"Salerna! Cissi!" Harry continued in shock.

Cissi was first to come. She bent down and hugged him before saying:

"Did you really think we would let him see you alone? No, no for Merlin's sake! I haven't seen you in like forever!"

"Cissi dear, let the poor boy breathe," Salerna said and pried his wife from the boy. "Don't be shy now, Diablos. Greet your nephew."

Diablos rolled his eyes and Harry grinned. He ran forward and hugged his uncle's waist tightly. The man ruffled his hair and offered the boy a smile which he got returned within a moment.

Narcissa and Lucius came forward and greeted their son. Hermione ran off to get her parents, and Padma saw hers were greeting Parvati. She instantly did not want to go there. Diablos looked at her and then at her parents. Gryffindors he concluded and decided not to do anything. After all, most Gryffindors had been terrified off him when he was in school.

-o-

Dumbledore tensed when he saw Diablos step into the hall with Harry and the others. The man who had destroyed everything he had planned. He had to get Diablos out of the picture. Maybe he would send Harry to the Weasleys; yes, they were a good family and perfect to get Harry to see the real Light. Now he only needed to get some things done in the Ministry and ban Diablos Potter from England just when Harry was going back to Italy at the end of the year. By then he would have convinced the Weasleys to take the raven-haired boy in, not that it would pose any problems, and then they have a week to manipulate him. Easy; Dumbledore would visit every day to make sure Harry was going to stay either with the Weasleys or the Dursleys. Then he would never want to return to his evil uncle again. Dumbledore smiled; such a good plan.

"Evil old coot," Diablos muttered to the potatoes as he stabbed them.

"Dia, what are you doing?" Harry asked.

"What?" the man said and looked up.

"You're killing your potatoes. What have the poor things ever done to you?" Salerna asked. Padma and Hermione giggled at that.

"Beware before I kill you," Diablos sneered, pointing the fork against the man in a threatening matter and returned to stabbing the poor potatoes. "It's just Dumbledore; I hate that smile."

"You hate everything about him," Lucius said, "so let's ignore him and don't dare trying to hurt that chicken leg."

-o-

Bill let his eyes roam over the hall, and stayed a bit on Diablos. The man looked healthy, happy and not too depressed. Good. He moved on. He ignored his mother's scolding, Ginny's whines and Ron's hissings. His father apparently tried to do that as well as he stared blankly up in the roof. The twins were rather silent for once and Charlie was off in another world. Percy was sitting a bit away with some of his friends, having already greeted his family and thinking he didn't have to be with them anymore. 'So unfair,' Bill thought. 'I want to go away as well. Preferably to Egypt, or Italy or… damn, anywhere but here.'

He sighed and returned to glare at his food. He was not even hungry.

"Bill?" Molly said. "Something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong mum," he replied. "Just not very hungry."

"You have to eat," the woman said. "Merlin knows how skinny you are. Bill, have you seen Harry Potter's uncle?"

"Who?" 'Better play stupid. It works pretty well with her.'

"He sits at the Slytherin table with red eyes," the Weasley said and shuddered. "Poor Harry having to be with him."

"Do you know him or what?"

"Not personally," Molly said. "But just the way he looks. Albus always said Harry would be much happier with the kind Dursleys than that monster."

'Don't defend him, don't defend him_, _do_ NOT _defend him…' "You don't even know if he's a monster, mum." _'Damn_.'

Molly looked at her son as if he was crazy.

"Albus told us!" she said. "So of course when Albus tells us he's a monster he is one. Now eat your food."

'What Albus tells is the truth or what?' Bill thought irritably. 'I pity you, Diablos, I really do.'

-o-

As they were eating the desert, the doors suddenly banged open and Quirrel ran inside.

"Trolls in the dungeons," he panted out. "Thought you wanted to know…"

And then he fainted. Diablos looked at the teacher, then turned to Harry and said in disbelief:

"_That's_ the DADA teacher?"

"Dia! Didn't you listen to what he said? A troll!" Harry hissed at the man.

"Yes, and? They are too stupid to come in on their own, so obviously someone let it in."

"Diablos, there is a bloody troll in the school," Lucius growled. "Can't you at least act like you are a little worried?"

"Why should I be worried?" Diablos asked, confused. "I'm not afraid of trolls. If it had been Voldemort in the dungeons I may have considered feeling some level of worry."

"Everyone will stay in here while the teachers check the dungeons!" Dumbledore called out. "There is no need to panic. Please continue to enjoy the feast."

The teachers rose up and quickly made their way out. They closed the entrance doors and immediately the talking began.

"Trolls?" Joanne Granger, Hermione's mother, said worriedly. "You mean real trolls?"

"Big, nasty creatures," Diablos said. "Too stupid to do anything else but swing a club and acting like an idiot. They won't have much problem with it."

Suddenly it banged on the door. Everyone got quiet. Diablos looked at it, groaned and hit his head on the table.

"Did I have to say that?" he muttered as the doors sprung open.

"It's three of them!" someone screamed.

The Grangers nearly screamed as three big trolls walked inside, each having clubs in their hands. The people dragged their children up and ran away from the trolls. But one girl was not so fortune.

"Parvati!" Padma screamed as her sister was lifted up by one of them.

"Mum! Dad!" Parvati cried out.

"Damn, did they have to do that?" Salerna muttered.

"Should we take matters in our own hands?" Diablos said to the white-haired man. "Miles followed with the teachers."

"I saw that. What do you have in store?"

"You distract the smelly one and I get the child."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Dunno; dance hula-hula?"

"Want the trolls to laugh themselves to death?"

Diablos smiled cheekily, a sight not seen on a very long time, and got up from the table. Salerna growled and followed.

"Dia!" Harry hissed but the man was already walking up the trolls. Salerna picked up a plate, forced his magic in it to make it heavier and threw it at the troll holding Parvati. It hit in the head and the troll howled.

"Here, you big idiot!" Salerna shouted and waved his arms. "Come on, right over here you shit!"

Diablos walked slowly closer to the troll while it turned its attention to Salerna.

"What are they doing?" someone screamed.

"They're distracting the troll," Hermione whispered. "Enough so Diablos can take Parvati."

Diablos stopped when the troll suddenly turned to him. He drew his hand carefully to where his wand was, and the troll raised the club it held. Salerna whipped his wand out and spelled the club away. The creature turned to look where it had been and Diablos ran forward, letting go of his wand-holster. Within a moment he had reached the creature, aimed his leg up to kick the arm and then taking Parvati as the troll let go. Salerna got up a goblet, made it heavier and threw it at the troll. Diablos jumped away with the girl and put her down onto the ground.

"What are you looking at?" he shouted at the adults. "Help us out!"

"Salerna!" Lucius shouted as he got up. Salerna was thrown into the wall and fell down onto the floor. He staggered up, blood pouring out from a head-wound.

One of the trolls swung his club against Diablos. He looked up at the club, and raised one arm. He heard screams but decided that it was no big matter. His arm would hurt like hell after this but for the moment he didn't care.

The club hit. Dust came up around the man. People flinched. Harry stared with wide eyes and then shouted:

"Dia!"

People stared as they saw the puzzled face belonging to the troll. The dust cleared, showing a strange but impressive sight.

Diablos was holding the club with his arm and when the troll tried to lift it his magic tightened as did his hand. His arm screamed in protest but he was beyond caring about pain. He grabbed the club with the other hand, swiftly dragged it from the troll's hand and swung it at the creature. It was with a sickening crack that it hit the head and the troll fell down.

As he straightened up, the other trolls were over-powered by curses and jinxes thrown by the adults and some of the older students. A smaller body crashed into Diablos and he yelped as he felt the pain returning.

"Harry, my arm-!"

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" the boy almost shouted into his chest.

Diablos winced as the arms tightened and dragged his arms out from the embrace. He patted Harry's head gently as the teachers came back in shock. He led the boy over to the table, and realized he had broken his arm.

"Diablos, your arm," Narcissa said.

He looked down at the mess and saw the blood dripping down.

"Oh," he said faintly. "Maybe it wasn't such a smart idea."

"For once you admit your idiocy!" Salerna growled, hand keeping pressure on his wound. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Getting rid of the nuisance," Diablos replied with a shrug. He held up a hand against Salerna's wound and the man removed his own hand. The red-eyed man pressed his palm lightly against the wound and healed it. The Grangers stared at the men in shock at the casual display of healing magic. Harry finally let go of his uncle so they could sit down.

Wincing the raven-haired man slowly brought his arm up. He was numb up to his elbow and made a quick scan.

"Will you live?" Salerna asked sarcastically, touching the newly-healed skin.

"Some of the nerves were damaged by the hit," Diablos said, making Hermione shudder. "Both bones broken at three places each and one rather big bleeding near my wrist."

"You're insane," the white-haired man informed.

As people began to swarm around the Hall, the Grangers watched in morbid fascination as Salerna took a hold of Diablos' arm and started to find the broken places. Diablos bit his lip for every wave of pain it brought. Salerna found one and said:

"This is going to hurt."

He yanked the bones into place and Diablos gasped. He closed his hand around the place and mended the bones together. The other two were less painful and soon the bones were healed. He began tracing the damaged nerves with his fingertips skimming over his skin and carefully healing them as he found something destroyed. After a few minutes he flexed his hand and moved the arm.

"Seems fine," he said and rolled his sleeve back down. He spelled the blood away but knew the robe was in for a wash later.

"Only you can seem fine with injuries like that," Salerna said with a sigh.

"Shush you," Diablos commented.

-o-

Harry hugged his uncle tightly and took a deep breath. The familiar scent that was purely Diablos drifted back at him. He sighed happily and then reluctantly released the man.

"See you at Christmas," he said quietly.

Diablos looked at his sad nephew and sighed a bit. He then bent down and gave Harry a light kiss on the forehead. The boy froze. Diablos gave him a smile, squeezed his shoulder and then left with Salerna and Cissi. Harry's hand found its way to his forehead and he stared after his uncle. The man had never done anything like that in public before.

Tbc…

* * *

Aah, Diablos is melting his frozen heart a bit. Well, chapter nine was short unfortunately but I didn't want to add a lot of unnecessary details.

Chapter ten: Quidditch (No, Harry is not in any of the teams), a scary meeting and Diablos gives free DADA and History-lessons through a mirror. Yay. Look forward to it.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	11. Chapter 10

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.¨

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-09-13**

-o-

**Chapter Ten**

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"When Slytherin and Ravenclaw are against each other in Quidditch, which team are you going to cheer on?"

Harry looked at Draco oddly and the boy shrugged.

"Well, which one?" the blonde continued.

"The one that wins of course."

-o-

"Diablos!"

The shout from the mirror made Diablos shoot his head up from the pillow and he groaned. He looked at the time and saw it was six in the morning. He grabbed the mirror, burrowed himself into the covers again and mumbled:

"What is it, Harry?"

"Dia, are you asleep or what? I have been calling for five minutes!"

"Yes, I am asleep," the man said, barely opening his eyes. A soft laughter came from the other side and he forced his eyes open. Harry was giggling quietly and the man snapped out:

"What?"

"You looked so cute, that's all!"

"What do you want six in the morning, Harry?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"That's it?"

"I wanted to see your face…"

"Don't pull those eyes on me Harry; it won't work."

"… Damn."

"Seriously, you just woke me up so you could see my face?"

"And maybe hearing your voice…"

"We spoke yesterday, right before you went to bed. You were so tired I was wondering if you were actually sleep-talking with me."

"…"

"Harry?"

"I had a nightmare," Harry blurted out, snuggling down under the covers to dampen the sounds he was making. He did not want to wake up Draco and Theodore.

"A nightmare?" Diablos said as he rubbed his eyes. He put his chin in his palm and leaned into it as he was lying on his stomach and looking at the boy's face.

"Yeah," the raven-haired boy replied. "I couldn't find you."

"That was a nightmare?"

"Yes, to me!"

"Was that all?" the man asked.

"No. Everyone was gone. I couldn't find anyone, and it felt like my heart was breaking."

"Well, we're not gone."

"I know! It… it felt so real. I felt everything in my dream just like I feel everything here."

The boy looked on as the man rose to a sitting position and was calmed down by seeing him rub his hair and red eyes blinking, changing into the more calming blue. Diablos' eyes never ceased to amaze him; even when Harry had been little he had been fascinated by the man's eyes. Most of the time they were mostly or completely red, but in the mornings they were often more blue than red and it made Diablos look different.

"A dream is a dream," Diablos said and looked at him. "Once you wake up, the dream is no more. Let it go."

And as every time Diablos said that, Harry let it go.

-o-

Draco was going ahead of him and Hermione, eager to get a good place. Harry looked at Neville, who was about to make his way to the Gryffindors (since sitting surrounded by Slytherins on a Quidditch-game between Slytherin and Gryffindor was not such a good idea) and said:

"You'll be fine now?"

"Yeah," Neville said with a hesitant smile.

"I can sit with you, you know," Hermione said comforting. "That's not a problem."

"Really?" the boy said.

"I'll sit with you and bugger you about Herbology and when those horrid boys will start on you I'll hex them," she promised. Harry smiled and shooed them off before going to meet the blonde.

Draco had saved a spot for him and the emerald-eyed boy gratefully sat down on it. The chilly November-air made him shiver (he hated cold weather) and Draco threw an arm around him, also throwing the black cloak over the slightly smaller boy.

"Thanks," Harry said, curling his fingers into the warm fabric.

The potions master sat down with a huff next to them and Draco asked:

"Shouldn't you sit with the teachers, Severus?"

"Nope," Severus replied. "As long as I don't have to, I like to avoid sitting there. Has Dumbledore been any hassle since Halloween?"

"Three invitations," Harry said with a light yawn. "I trained my Incendio on them."

"Good boy," Severus muttered. "I'll report that to Diablos."

"He's okay?"

"You haven't spoken to him?"

"Yeah, I have but you know him; he hides everything he really feels from me."

"Well, for once I don't think he is. Of course he misses you, but he has Salerna and Bill as daily guests, and the occasional visit from Lucius."

"Come on, the game is about to begin!" Draco said, making their conversation short.

-o-

"He's been awfully disconnected with the world lately," one student whispered to her table-mate.

"He has not been," the other woman replied.

"Yes, he has!"

"Ladies in the back, stop talking," Diablos called out and they quietened. For a few minutes anyway. Their hushed whispers starting again over the noises of quills writing on parchment, pages turned in books. Diablos looked up and said, "I'm serious; no talking, or else I'm going to hang you upside down on the wall."

They shut up. But after a little while the first who had spoken dared saying:

"Bad temper as well…"

Her friend nodded in agreement.

"Ladies!" the man snapped.

-o-

Salerna looked at the sleeping man from his spot by the door. Diablos had folded his arms and laid his head to rest on them, and therefore falling asleep on the desk. The white-haired man sighed a bit and stepped up to his younger colleague. He gently manoeuvred the man until he could lift him. Diablos stirred but a quick reassuring made the raven-haired man fall back to sleep. Salerna found his friend's body still too light as he walked up the stairs, but he was thankfully not a stick anymore.

The older wizard carefully put down Diablos on the bed and slipped the boots and robe off. He settled the covers over the red-eyed man and left.

-o-

"Just… bloody… great."

Harry stomped around and looked back and forth. Damn.

"Why did I have to end up at the third floor?" he asked the roof. It gave no answer and he growled.

He had just been walking up the stairs when said stairs moved and stopped at a door. Harry had pulled it open but once he had gotten inside and closed the door he could not open that door again. So now he was stuck in a corridor he was not supposed to be in.

He had already tried calling on Diablos through the mirror, but the man was not picking the mirror up. Now slightly worried about his uncle, Harry was working himself into a panic.

He finally walked up to the one door that was there. He felt on it only to realize it was locked. He did not really want to go on there, but maybe there was a way out from the other side. He took out his wand and whispered:

"Alohomora."

The door opened and he gripped his bag tightly. He swung the door open and stopped in horror.

Three sets of eyes stared back at him. Three mouths growled. A giant dog stared at him before closing the distance between them. Harry threw the door close again, and locked it. He ran to the other door and felt on it. Still locked. He tried Alohomora but it was not working. He heard one of the dog's paws bang at the other door and his heart picked up.

"Please, just open!" he begged. "Please, someone!"

The door suddenly opened and he tumbled out into Markus Flint's arms. The Slytherin looked just as surprised as Harry but a moment later he found himself hugged by the smaller boy. His eyes widened a fraction but then Harry had already released him. The raven-haired boy threw the door close and they were startled as the stairs began moving again.

"How did you end up in there?" Markus asked as they walked towards the dungeons.

"The stairs stopped there and I opened the door. It swung shut behind me, and then I couldn't get out," Harry muttered. "Thanks for getting me out."

"No problem. A Slytherin always helps another. Although you are just half."

"Blame that on the hat, not me."

-o-

"Where were you?"

Diablos winced at his nephew's angry tone and looked into the mirror.

"When did you call?" the man asked.

"Around three."

"Three?" Diablos repeated. "I had a class."

"But you've talked with me while having a class before," Harry accused.

"Yes, but today was an exam. I had left the mirror on my desk and I was walking around the classroom."

"Oh… okay."

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Okay, that was a really bad lie Harry. The truth?"

"I don't have to tell you everything," the boy said, a bit too harshly. He was irritated over his uncle's simple mistake and did not feel like being nice.

Diablos flinched. He looked away for a moment before saying:

"Fine, then don't tell me. Will you leave me be now for the evening? I have exams to grade."

The man shut the mirror off without another word. Harry stared at the mirror in shock.

"Dia?" he whispered.

Of course, there was no answer.

Harry had first been shocked, but the shock gave way to anger and he refused to speak with his uncle. Whenever Diablos called, Harry ignored it. The man had been unfair to him, so he would be unfair back.

-o-

Diablos looked at the mirror dully, the ink on his quill dried long ago. He rubbed his tired eyes with one hand before suddenly grabbing a book and hurling it away in his anger. It hit the wall with a thud before falling to the floor. Diablos dropped the quill and rested his head in his hands. He had been rather rude to his nephew and wanted to apologize but the boy refused to speak to him.

His heart tugged painfully in his chest and he rose up. He walked out from his study and to his bedroom. He fell down onto the bed, fully dressed and snapped his fingers. A house-elf came up immediately.

"Dora, put the lights out," he said tiredly.

"Shall Dora put all lights out in the Manor?"

"Yes please."

"Master Diablos has a visitor waiting though. Arrived just moments ago."

"Who?"

"Master white-hair."

Salerna. Diablos got up with a groan and said:

"Start shutting the lights anyway. I'll go down and speak with him there."

"Yes, master."

He walked down the stairs, and Salerna said:

"You know, you look like a strong wind will knock you over."

"I'm tired, Salerna. What do you want?" Diablos asked, irritated and just wanting to sleep.

"I want to know why you didn't show up at school today."

"I had no classes."

"But you missed a meeting."

Diablos looked at the man and thought for a while.

"There was a meeting?" he finally asked. The white-haired man nodded and he groaned. "Sorry, I didn't know that."

"Diablos, what's wrong?" the white-haired man asked worriedly.

"I said I'm tired."

"Not just that."

"It's nothing," Diablos said.

"Diablos…" the older man warned.

"Nothing!" the red-eyed man snapped. "Now will you please leave?"

Salerna grabbed the man and pulled him back.

"No, I will not leave," Salerna said softly. "I will stay here until you say what's wrong."

"Call Dora if you want some tea then," Diablos said and moved to get up and sleep.

He was thrown to the floor and Salerna crouched down over his waist. The raven-haired man found no energy to get up.

"Just leave me alone," Diablos muttered. "Everyone argues with their family."

"You and Harry had an argument?"

"I was rather pissed off, and now he is rather pissed off. It will work out once he has released some steam."

"Wow, one of your best lies so far. If it's nothing, then why are you looking like shit?"

"Because I'm tired," Diablos said slowly. "That's why I didn't remember about any meeting today."

Salerna helped him up and said:

"Call Harry now. He should still be awake."

"He doesn't answer," Diablos mumbled. "Don't you think I've already tried calling him?"

"Let me try it then. Where's the mirror?"

"In my study," the red-eyed man said dully. Salerna helped him to the bedroom and then went to get the mirror. He opened and screamed into it:

"Harry, pick the mirror up this very instant or I'll tell Miles to torture you!"

He waited for a few moments before Harry showed up, wide-eyed. He stuttered out:

"S-Salerna?"

"Good, you were there," Salerna said, smiling as usual. "Harry, are you angry at Diablos?"

"He just shut the mirror without saying goodbye!" Harry snapped.

"Okay, no need to make me deaf. When was that?"

"Five days ago."

"Five days? Wow, you have the nerve to hold a grudge that long for something so simple. Diablos wanted to apologize for his short dismissal but you didn't answer."

"So what if I didn't?" the boy asked, glad he was alone in the room.

"By the looks of it, I don't think Diablos have slept in the last five days."

"You just want me to feel bad."

"Well, you should feel bad. You made him feel like crap," Salerna said. "Harry, both you and me know he's sensitive when it comes to family. To have someone he sees as his son that angry at him… he can't take it."

Harry looked away, trying to will the tears away.

"Don't look away from me," Salerna warned. "Just talk to him. Say he was stupid and you were stupid, and that the older idiot of you two should go to sleep and stop worrying his students and his friends."

The raven-haired boy bit his lip and whispered:

"Is he really that far gone?"

"Yes, he is," the white-haired man said as he walked into the bedroom. "I'll give you to him now."

Harry watched as Salerna put the mirror in Diablos' hand and the man's face showed up. The skin was pale and he had dark rings under his eyes.

"Dia?" Harry said. "You look like shit."

"Oh, great," Diablos muttered, rubbing his eyes. He stopped rubbing at them for a moment before starting again. He growled at his new habit and muttered, "Have to find a spell to stop rubbing your eyes."

"Dia, I'm sorry. I was stupid but you made me so angry."

"I know I did," Diablos said. "I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay," Harry said. "I want you to go to sleep so Salerna stops shouting to both of us."

"That sounds like a great plan."

-o-

Harry nearly tore his hair out as he read the chapter over and over again. Where the bloody hell was the part he needed? Hermione was not faring any better than him; her eyes scanned over the pages, searching like crazy.

"Where is it?" they finally burst out simultaneously. Draco and Padma looked at them, both confused. Harry's and Hermione's heads snapped up to look at the two, and Draco said:

"That was freaky."

"I can't find what professor Binns talked about," Hermione said, gesturing at the book.

"Neither can I," Harry said.

"What should we do?" the girl asked. "The essay is due tomorrow. I can't believe I let myself slack off!"

"Come on, it's the first essay ever you slacked off with," Padma said. "It's not like it's the end of the world because of it."

Harry opened the mirror and soon Diablos' face showed up.

"Hi," the boy said hurriedly. "Can I ask you something?"

"Ask on," came the man's voice and the three others turned to Harry.

"There is a thing in History of Magic that I and Hermione can't figure out. Draco and Padma don't know either."

"What thing is it?" Diablos asked, having a feeling he already knew what it was. He rose up and began searching through his old school books.

"About a wizard who lived 400 years ago. He invented something and professor Binns wanted us to write down what. The thing is, he isn't mentioned in our textbook."

"Gavon the Greedy?" Diablos asked, flipping through a book.

"Yeah," Harry said, surprised. The other three now leaned closer, waiting for the rest. "How did you know that?"

"Because professor Binns gave me the same thing when I was in Hogwarts. I didn't give up about it, and found out he shouldn't be mention until fourth year," Diablos said. "You need the book _History 1400-1500_; it should be in the library. On page 1599 he will be mentioned along with the one thing he invented."

"Don't tell me you had that memorized," Harry groaned.

Diablos' laughter drifted back to them and then his voice came out, amused:

"I wasn't the best in school for nothing, Harry."

Harry hit his head on the table and mumbled:

"I forgot you remember everything you've read."

"Not everything," Diablos said. "I forget some parts."

"Yeah, only after like ten years!" the boy cried out. "You can still rabble up the whole Daily Prophet from when I was three years old!"

"Can I? Which number?"

"Every number," the boy groaned and dragged himself up. "Where is the book we need then?"

"Should be near Madam Pince, History-section."

"Got it."

They continued to talk as Harry went to get the book. Madam Pince looked at him as he looked through the section and then dragged out a large book.

"Dia, this book waves tons!" he said. "And you read it?"

"I was bored," came the man's voice from the mirror.

"Only uncle Dia reads things like this when he's bored," Harry groaned as he carried the book back to the table. Madam Pince looked after him, amused.

-o-

"What is it now?" Diablos asked.

"It's Defence," Harry said with a slightly sheepish grin. Hermione, Padma and Draco sat around him.

"I'm amazed that man can even teach. Alright, bring it on."

"He described several spells but never why the words are important."

"The words aren't always important," Diablos said, slipping into his teaching mood. "There are several nonverbal spells that are just as good as the verbal."

"For us, who are younger, why is it so important for us to say the incantation out loud?"

"Because you don't have full control of your magic. You can't feel it charging inside you, like some adults can. Those adults can therefore cast nonverbal spells, because they can focus and shape their magic into the spell without words."

"Why do we need words?" Harry asked as the other three scribbled the information down. "Is it because we can't feel our magic focus and therefore we can't focus the magic at all?"

"Exactly. When you can't focus, it can easily go wrong. If I don't focus and throws an Incendio, I can easily cause an inferno or nothing."

"Do the magic listen to our words when we speak or what?"

"No. Unconsciously, you imagine the spell before actually saying the spell. The words are a confirmation of your intentions but the magic began forming as soon as you imagined the spell."

"Is it really in that way?" Harry said.

"Think accidental magic when you were young. You thought what you wanted to happen, and imagined it. The magic formed but didn't know the spell and most likely made it too much or too little."

"That makes sense," Draco said and Hermione nodded.

"Thanks, Dia!" Harry said brightly. "I bet no one has a hidden source like we!"

"Great, I'm a hidden source of knowledge. Good thing to know I'm useful for something. Well, if I excuse my masters and madams, I do have some grading to do. Am I allowed to go and do it?"

"Can he?" Harry asked and looked at the three.

"Well, we did get good information," Padma said thoughtfully.

"We can surprise professor Quirrel now," Hermione said.

"I think the slave can get some time off to do grading," the blonde boy said with a grin.

Diablos rolled his eyes.

"Miles can do nonverbal spells," he informed his nephew. "For demonstration, go to him and harass him."

"Will do! Bye, and thanks again!"

Diablos shook his head fondly as he said goodbye to Harry and then shut the mirror.

"Miles?" Padma said, confused.

"The Auror," Harry explained.

"You know him?" Hermione said.

"That's a secret," Harry said, "but yeah, I know him a little bit." 'More than a little bit, but even walls can have ears on this place.'

-o-

Diablos opened his eyes and looked up at the roof. He sighed and got up. He would not get anymore sleep this night. He got on a night robe and walked silently to the library, his feet soundless on the floor. He looked through the shelves until he found a book about magical animals. He sat down in an armchair, brought the robe closer around his frame because of the slight coldness in the room, and flipped it open. He searched through until he came to the chapter he wanted.

"Cerberus," he murmured. The three heads flashed in his mind again, the sounds of their barks and he tuned it away. "Cerberus, little Cerberus. You're not the best animal to have on Hogwarts, are you now _Fluffy?_"

Tbc…

* * *

Just how much does Diablos know, hm?

Chapter eleven: Christmas! Yay! Harry finds his uncle's work that seems to centre on a Cerberus and a certain stone…

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	12. Chapter 11

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2010-10-02**

-o-

**Chapter Eleven**

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious," Harry said. Hermione stared at him and repeated what the raven-haired boy had just said moments before:

"You want to invite me and my parents to Italy during Christmas?"

"Yes," Harry replied. "Otherwise I and Draco will be two very lonely children surrounded by adults."

"What about Padma?"

"She couldn't come on Christmas obviously, but she was going to spend a weekend with us that hopefully you also will."

"You're really serious about this," Hermione said as they continued to walk to Transfiguration.

"Come on, this Christmas will be the first I invite someone else than Draco! Dia will be happy if you come. He thinks I'm too much of a loner anyway."

The girl thought for a while and then said:

"I'll ask mum and dad."

-o-

Harry was jumping around in the dorm, making Draco and Theodore look at him with amusement. Finally Theodore shook his head and said:

"That's it; I'm going to the common room."

"What's wrong with me being happy?" the raven-haired boy said and stuck out his tongue.

"You're scary," Theodore replied and fled when Harry threw a pillow towards him.

Harry continued his dance soon enough while he packed. Draco shook his head and let his friend continue.

-o-

Hermione fidgeted with her cloak and looked out the window every now and then as they sat on the train on their way to London. At the station they would be met by Hermione's parents, Draco's parents, Diablos, Sirius and Remus. The Grangers would travel to Italy with Diablos, Sirius and Remus while the Malfoys would go home and then come to Italy on Christmas. The following weekend Padma would come to Potter Manor and spend a few days with her three friends.

"You nervous?" Harry asked and the girl jumped.

"A bit," she replied. "I've never been invited to a friend's house before."

"Never?"

"Never," she confirmed.

"Well, then I'll be the first!"

She smiled shyly to him.

-o-

It was a little while later when they saw two shadows outside their compartment. Harry, who was the closest, was about to open the compartment-door when it opened. Twin eyes blinked as Harry peered up.

"Sorry," the two towering over him said simultaneously. "Wrong door."

"It's okay," the raven-haired boy said.

"We're Fred and George Weasley," they said, stretching out two hands. Harry shook them both. "We heard our brother has given you a hard time."

"Don't worry; he's easy to ignore," the boy reassured. Draco looked on, ready to get his wand.

"True said, true said. Too easy sometimes. We hardly notice he's even there normally. Well, we better head back," the twins said. "Otherwise Ron will find us and we don't want that. See you around."

They disappeared and Harry looked after them. He then went back to his seat and sat down.

"That was kind of interesting," Draco said.

The two others could only agree.

-o-

Harry fought through the groups of students and families with Hermione's hand in his own and Draco's arm linked with his. They spotted Lucius and Narcissa and Harry saw the back of Diablos' head. He dragged his two friends with him, both Draco and Hermione smiling.

"Dia!"

Diablos turned around and barely managing catching his nephew. Two arms wounded tightly around his chest and squeezed. The air went out of him and the man stumbled back a bit. One arm went around Harry's shoulders and Diablos squeezed a bit if not just to make his nephew release his tight grip.

Hermione dragged her parents over just as Sirius and Remus arrived. Harry still hugged Diablos but not as tightly as before. Instead his arms were loosely around the man's waist and himself breathing in his uncle's scent deeply. The fact that Diablos let him just made him happier.

They greeted on Hermione's parents before the Malfoys went home with promises to come the day before Christmas. Then Sirius, Remus, Diablos and Harry were left with the Grangers.

"Sirius, you take Mr Granger, Remus can take Mrs Granger and I'll take young Miss Granger," Diablos said.

"But you have Harry to take," Hermione said.

"Dia can Apparate with two persons," Harry said.

"But I've read that's too hard for most wizards and witches," Hermione said with a frown.

"Yeah, but since when was Dia like most wizards and witches?" Harry said back with a cheeky smile.

Hermione nodded at the explanation, smiling at the groaning Diablos and they prepared to Apparate. Diablos felt Harry squeeze tighter for a moment before releasing one arm and helping Hermione, who had never Apparated before. She nervously put her arm around the red-eyed man and gripped Harry's arm with her other. Diablos put an arm around the young girl and then they vanished.

Hermione looked at Harry with wide eyes and he grinned.

"Good first Apparation-trip?" he asked.

"That was awesome!" she exclaimed. "Mum, dad, it was awesome right?"

The Grangers looked less than happy but were amused by their daughter's excited face. Diablos stepped up to the Manor and opened the door. The Grangers looked around and followed the wizards in. Hermione watched Harry run through the door, kick his shoes off and then taking her hand to run up to show the guestrooms. She nearly did not have time to take her own shoes off. The adults watched the children run off and then Diablos turned to the Grangers.

"Should we follow them?" he asked.

They did so and went upstairs. The red-eyed man showed the adults their guestroom when suddenly Dora appeared. The Grangers stopped and stared at the house-elf while Diablos just said:

"Yes?"

"Master, white-hair is here," Dora said.

Diablos blinked at her and said:

"I thought we had an agreement on that white-hair would be Salerna."

"Oops," the house-elf said and put a spindly hand against her mouth. She did not sound sorry at all. Diablos shook his head and turned to the Muggles:

"Salerna is a colleague of mine. I will go down and greet him. Just come back downstairs when you are ready for dinner."

"Dinner?" Dora perked up.

"Yes, dinner for… seven," Diablos said, mentally counting. "Don't make the food in a rush though; they may want to have some time to settle in."

"Yes master." And then she was gone. The raven-haired man walked down the stairs again, after having explained to the Grangers what they had just seen, and Salerna cocked his head once he spotted his friend.

"Who are the guests?" the white-haired man asked, gesturing to the shoes.

"Harry's friend Hermione and her parents," Diablos said.

Salerna raised an eyebrow.

"You, Diablos Potter, freely invited people into your home?" he asked.

A vein ticked on the raven-haired man's forehead.

"Harry wanted," he objected. "I merely said it was fine."

"So you practically invited them in."

"Why do you always twist around the truth until it sounds fine in your ears?"

"Because I love perfection."

"Liar."

Salerna stuck his tongue out and ruffled the raven hair. Diablos growled low in his throat and the white-haired man grinned. He knew he was going to get hell for this, but Salerna could not resist:

"You know, you're so cute when you're pissed off."

Red eyes narrowed. The white-haired man put a hand over his mouth to hide his grin and took off. Diablos ran after with a shout:

"Salerna!"

-o-

Harry dragged Hermione to their library after showing the guestroom and his own room and she stared at the rows and rows of books. The library was two floors and she could see it was full of books on the second floor as well.

"What do you think?" Harry asked with a grin.

"It's amazing," she whispered and looked around. "How did your uncle get so many books?"

"He has more in his study and bedroom and in our living room of course," the boy said and she stared at him. He shrugged and continued; "Dia likes reading."

A soft cough broke their moment and the two children turned around. Diablos raised an eyebrow and said:

"Dinner is ready."

"Great!" Harry said. "I'm starving."

The man swept out from the room and they followed him. Hermione leaned closer to Harry and whispered:

"He looks a bit like professor Snape when he walks."

Harry looked and giggled.

"True," he replied and they both giggled behind their hands. Diablos turned his head to them but said nothing.

-o-

Joanne and Cissi found each other immediately while Greg, Hermione's father, was entertained by Salerna. Diablos sat mostly quiet, eating enough to satisfy a small bird. Harry frowned at his uncle but he seemed too distracted to notice anything. His red eyes were far away as he had put his head in his hand and leaned his elbow onto the table.

When dinner was over, the adult Grangers just wanted to read some more about the history of the Wizarding World while Harry and Hermione decided to do homework. Diablos led them to the library and gave them a few suggestions for books and where to find them before walking up to the second floor. The Grangers gaped at the huge library while the two children ran to get their books and homework. Cissi sat down while Salerna disappeared behind the raven-haired man.

The white-haired man found his colleague and friend by one of the tables with several books and parchments on it. Diablos glanced up as Salerna picked up one of the parchments.

"Cerberus?" he asked, puzzled.

"Just a thing," Diablos said, waving his hand.

"Just a thing?" Salerna repeated. "Sorry, I don't believe you. The truth?"

"Alright," Diablos said and straightened up. The white-haired man was a bit surprised; if he wanted to know anything from Diablos he almost had to drag it out tooth and nail. He did not give up information _this_ easily. "I'm just researching about a Cerberus named Fluffy and the Philosopher's Stone he's guarding at Hogwarts. Satisfied?"

"You joking with me?" Salerna said.

"No, why should I?" the man said, bored. "May I continue now?"

-o-

Harry gently walked up the stairs later that night in the library, hearing Diablos' scratching with the quill and rustling of papers. He peeked out from behind one of the shelves and saw Diablos sitting hunched over, scribbling away fervently.

Suddenly Salerna's voice was heard somewhere from the hall and Harry quickly hid. Diablos rose up and went downstairs, too distracted to notice his nephew. Once the red-eyed man was gone, the raven-haired boy quickly made his way over to the table and looked at his uncle's work.

One picture made his eyes widen. The same sort of dog he had seen in Hogwarts at the third floor! Why in Merlin's name did Diablos work on something like this?

He saw the writing on one of the parchments and stared. His eyes read the little text over and over again.

_Cerberus, Fluffy, watching Philosopher's Stone at third floor in Hogwarts. A set of four of five traps before the Stone can be taken. Does __**He **__know? Is __**He**__ in the school already? And if __**He**__ is, where?_

Footsteps alerted Harry from the writing and he quickly ran from the table. He made a stop at the Potions section, dragged out a book he liked and curled up in the armchair nearby, trying to make it look like he had been there for a while. His heart was racing and he forcibly calmed down.

'Who was **He**?'

-o-

**Christmas morning, 5 AM****  
Also known as;  
Ridiculously early**

Harry snuck into the bedroom, and quickly closed the door. His uncle's back was turned on to him but the boy did not care. The man was dressed in a soft black shirt and a pair of sleeping-pants, the covers resting on his hips. Harry got up on the bed and snuggled down behind Diablos. The man stirred and his head turned. Harry looked innocently at him.

"Harry?" the man mumbled.

Diablos grunted softly as the boy crawled right over him and snuggled into his chest instead. Harry nuzzled his face into the crook of Diablos' neck, his natural scent stronger there. One arm draped over Harry's shoulders and he could feel Diablos slip back to sleep again. He decided to do the same.

-o-

Sirius grinned evilly the moment before he jumped onto the bed. Diablos and Harry shot up and the man laughed. The red-eyed man narrowed his sleepy eyes, saw who the intruder it was, and groaned. He fell back onto the bed and dragged the covers over himself again.

"Come on, stop being so boring!" Sirius nearly shouted. Diablos winced while Harry giggled. "It's already seven in the morning!"

In the next moment, Diablos' wand shot out and Sirius was flying before he knew it. He flew out the door, Diablos waved it shut and he then burrowed himself deeper. Harry giggled like mad and settled on top of the man.

"Harry, get off me," Diablos complained.

The boy did not; instead he laid down more comfortably for both of them and closed his eyes. Diablos wondered if he should fight more but decided he was too damn tired. So he just closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

-o-

The Grangers were introduced to Sirius and Remus at breakfast but they had to do the introductions themselves; Diablos was too grumpy and only grunted as an answer before he had gotten food down his stomach.

After breakfast, Harry and Hermione were practically vibrating on their chairs until Diablos and the Grangers said; yes they could go and open three gifts each. That said, and the children were gone like they had Apparated to the living room. The Grangers, Sirius and Remus followed while Diablos continued to sit. He looked down at his tea cup for a long time and then stood up. Immediately Dora showed up and cleaned the table with a snap of her fingers. He strode out and heard the two children talking and the others laughing. He stood silent until Harry suddenly popped his head out from the living room. Seeing his uncle stand and frowning made the boy frown himself. He ran up to the man and tugged at his hand.

"Come on," Harry urged. Diablos snapped back and looked down at Harry. "You're missing all the fun, Dia."

The man's mouth twitched and Harry grinned.

"Fun?" the red-eyed man echoed.

"Yes, fun," Harry said. "Come now."

Diablos let himself be led into the living room. The Grangers were listening to Hermione's instructions of how to use a Wizard Chess set while Sirius and Remus were already playing. Diablos sat down in an armchair and Harry plopped down in his lap.

"Aren't you going to open some of your gifts?" Diablos asked.

"I already have," the boy replied. "A robe from Severus, a book on Transfiguration from Cissi and Salerna and a necklace from Lucius and Cissy."

"Oh…"

"You were lost in thoughts longer than you thought."

Diablos shrugged. Harry snuggled closer, and said:

"I'm gonna save all of your gifts until later."

"Oh joy," Diablos muttered.

-o-

Draco, Lucius and Narcissa arrived an hour before dinner, and with them was also Severus. The potions master had managed getting away from the dinner at Hogwarts with the excuse the Malfoys had invited him (and anyone knew better than to refuse when a Malfoy invited them). Dumbledore had let him go then.

Salerna and Cissi arrived a few minutes later with some extra gifts and greeted them all. Diablos escaped to the kitchen, thankfully not being ushered out of there and looked on as the house-elves cooked. Dora gently touched his arm and gave him a glass of water. He thanked her and sipped it. She always knew what he needed. Some peace from now and then, just sitting and relaxing. Only when she told him the dinner was soon going to be served did he rise up. She took the glass and he walked out. The adults seemed to be fine without him, so he just sat down next to Salerna and listened. He always felt out of place with many people. Normally it was so many people around him that no one noticed his discomfort, but unfortunately a man by the name of Salerna Maga was there and he _always_ noticed when Diablos was uncomfortable.

The casual arm thrown over the red-eyed man's shoulder made Diablos' eyebrow twitch a bit at first. He then looked over at Salerna, who smiled and pulled him a little closer to drop a feather-light kiss to his temple.

"Uncomfortable much?" he asked quietly.

"Not that much," Diablos said. "Just… not used to it."

"Better be," the white-haired man said. "I doubt you will have a calm Christmas for a long time."

The thought made Diablos groan and Salerna laugh.

-o-

The dinner was served and they moved to the dining hall. Harry was pleased when Salerna placed himself next to Diablos to make sure the man ate enough.

They kept themselves to light subjects throughout the whole dinner, the Grangers sharing Muggle stories with the wizard and witches and said wizards and witches shared stories about the Wizarding World. For being a pure-blood couple, Lucius and Narcissa seemed to enjoy the Grangers' company.

After the dessert they moved into the living room where the gifts were waiting underneath the tree Harry had convinced Diablos to conjure and dress like a real Christmas tree.

The three children wasted no time; instead they dove right into the gifts and began dealing them out. That done, they began to open their own. Diablos looked down at his small pile and picked the first one up. It was from his students and he blinked. Had he not gotten one already? Oh well, who knows? He opened it and saw it was a box. He frowned and opened it.

It was a necklace of silver and he blinked. He lifted it up, not noticing the adults' looks. He held it in his hands for a while, his head cocked to the side before carefully laying it back in the box and spelling away the paper. He put the box on the table next to him and peered up. Salerna raised an eyebrow and said:

"Was that pure silver?"

"I believe so."

"Who was it from?"

"My students."

Salerna laughed and said:

"They're probably hoping that gift will soften you up a bit."

"No, they know the rumours," Diablos replied. "I can't be charmed."

"Either they're still trying, or you've become everyone's favourite teacher," Salerna said and pointed at him. "You can't be charmed you say, but YOU have charmed most of the Italian Ministry."

The red-eyed man waved it away and picked up the next gift. It was from Salerna.

"Salerna," he said neutrally, which made the white-haired man nervous. "If you have given me something that will hurt me in any way or ridicule me, you know the drill."

"I'm not going to do _that_ mistake again," Salerna said with a wince while Cissi laughed. "It's not funny, Cissi! You don't even know what he did!"

"No, I don't," she agreed, "but I have no doubt you deserved it."

The Malfoys and Grangers chuckled while Salerna groaned and buried his face into his hands. In the meantime, Diablos opened the gift and his eyes grew a little wider. He looked up quickly, but no one was paying attention to him. He slipped the bracelet on without anyone noticing and then continued with his gifts.

-o-

The three children's discussion went unnoticed by the adults, and that was lucky for them. Draco and Hermione sat quiet for a while after Harry told them what he had seen of his uncle's work.

"Does it mean he knows something about this?" the girl finally asked.

"But how? Father doesn't know anything," Draco said.

"Severus," Harry said suddenly. "Severus maybe knows."

"But the man your uncle wrote about? Who could it be?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Harry replied. "But we're going to find out, right?"

"Now that you've awoken my curiosity I won't stop until I know who," the girl said and the blonde boy nodded his agreement.

-o-

Harry snuggled down around his blankets and was too lazy to open his eyes when the door to his room opened. The bed dipped and Diablos' light touch was on his head. Harry kept his breathing deep and even, and his eyes naturally closed. The man sighed wearily and the boy nearly wanted to open his eyes. His uncle had not sounded like that for a long time.

"What am I supposed to do?" his uncle said quietly. "I was hoping it was not there. I'm hoping **He** is not there, not as long as **He** doesn't know the truth."

Diablos leaned down and gave the lightning bolt scar a chaste kiss, a touch almost too light to feel. Raven hair tickled Harry's face. Then the bed dipped again and Diablos was gone.

Once the door was closed, emerald eyes snapped open. What the hell had his uncle been talking about?

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter eleven done, yay! What indeed did Diablos talk about?

Chapter twelve: The weekend with Padma, New Year and maybe their trip back to Hogwarts. And maybe some other stuff as well.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	13. Chapter 12

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2011-04-07**

-o-

**Chapter Twelve**

"Harry, why are you insisting on coming into my room too damn early?"

Said boy snuggled down into the covers and peered up. Diablos muttered something and fell back. The boy grinned; he knew that his uncle would be too tired to nag and would let him stay. He was not a Slytherin for nothing after all.

-o-

Diablos inched away very slowly. He gently pried Harry's hands away from his hair and finally got up without waking his nephew. The boy burrowed himself deeper into the covers and the red-eyed man tucked him in before going to the bathroom, yawning.

A few minutes later he came out, fully dressed and fully awake. He walked silently to the door and was careful when he closed it after him. He walked down the hall and down the stairs. He took down a black cloak and put it on.

"Where shall you go, master?"

He turned to look at Dora, who was eyeing him worriedly.

"To the school," he replied. "Just to bring something back."

"Master will be back soon?"

"Yes."

"Dora will make sure breakfast is waiting for master when master returns."

"Thank you."

And with that he walked out the door.

-o-

Dora served breakfast to a tired Lucius, Draco and Harry with a fuming expression.

"What's wrong, Dora?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Master is not here," she said sourly.

"Dia? That's right; he wasn't in his room," the boy said thoughtfully as the two Malfoys watched him.

"Master promised just to be away for a little while!"

"Wait; he left the house?" Lucius asked.

"Two hours ago!" she shrieked. "Master said just for a little while! Two hours is not a little while!"

Now the three got worried. The house-elf stomped back to the kitchen, muttering to herself as she did. Harry put down the toast and decided to check if his uncle had gone over to Salerna's place so he got up and went into the living room. He took some Floo powder, threw it in and said:

"Salerna!"

He then stuck his head into the fire. He looked around the living room and soon the white-haired man appeared, still in his sleep-robes and tousled hair.

"Harry?" he asked as he kneeled down, rubbing his eyes and pushing away his hair from his face.

"Is Dia there?" he asked.

"No," Salerna replied, yawning. It took him a few seconds to fully understand what the boy had said, but once he did the man's eyes grew larger. He turned to the raven-haired boy's face and asked; "What; he's not at home?"

"No, he's not," Harry said as the two Malfoys came to the living room. "Dora said he left two hours ago."

"Where was he going?"

"To the school, according to her."

Salerna thought for a while and Harry fidgeted. The man tilted his head to the side and his eyes cleared as he seemed to figure something out. He looked at Harry and said:

"I think I know where he is. I'm going and get him."

"Where do you think he is?"

"If he wants to tell you, he will. It's not my place to tell."

Harry leaned back and the fire returned to the normal colour.

"Salerna said he maybe knew where Dia was, and he was going to get him."

"He didn't tell where?" Lucius asked.

"No," Harry said, frowning. Where could his uncle have gone?

-o-

Salerna walked down the path slowly, snow falling gently around him. He brought the cloak closer to himself and stopped behind the slightly smaller figure.

"Did you wish to freeze to death?" he asked, shuddering. "England is too cold for my taste."

Diablos did not move.

"Why didn't you just say the truth?" he continued softly, moving closer.

"Didn't feel like it," the red-eyed man replied.

Salerna rested his chin on Diablos' shoulder and looked down at the graves.

"Maybe you should bring Harry here," he said thoughtfully. "He's never visited James' and Lily's graves, right?"

The raven-haired man remained silent.

"Come on, why bring depression on when it's Christmas?" the white-haired man said, rubbing his friend's arms. Then he noticed something.

Two roses lay on the graves, their red colour cutting against the white snow.

"Hey, isn't that roses from your garden?" Salerna asked quietly.

"I come here every year," Diablos said, "to lay two roses on their graves and then two on my parents' graves. I didn't mean to make anyone worry."

"Well, you made us worried," Salerna said. "Or at least, your nephew. I'm glad you told me about their graves; that's the only reason I'm here for. I couldn't think of any other place."

Diablos tore his eyes from his brother's grave and turned around. Salerna smiled a bit at him and said:

"You cold?"

The man nodded, and stiffened when the older man brought him close and wrapped his arms around him. His head rested on Salerna's shoulder, and one hand came to cradle the back of his skull while fingering on the raven hair.

"Let's go home," Salerna whispered.

In the next moment they were gone.

-o-

The door opened and Harry snapped his head up. Salerna sneezed and complained with a whiny tone:

"I hate English weather!"

Diablos came in after him, shaking off the snow from his cloak. He pushed it off, hung it up and walked to the living room with his body shaking slightly. His lips had turned pale and he had not removed his gloves.

"Dia, where were you?" Harry asked. The man appeared not to have heard him as he dragged an armchair to the hearth and sat down. "Salerna, where did you find him?"

The white-haired man looked at the sullen man in front of the fire, and sighed.

"In a graveyard," he replied. The two Malfoys stared along with the raven-haired boy.

"In a graveyard?" Harry finally repeated.

"Yes, I believe it's a tradition for him," Salerna said.

"Standing in a graveyard?" the boy asked, one eyebrow arching up.

"No. Harry, he visited your parents' and grandparents' graves."

"Does master Diablos wish to have breakfast?" Dora asked the two, and they snapped their heads down.

"Not now," Salerna said. "Prepare some hot tea for him though."

With that he walked into the living room.

Diablos cradled the teacup in his hands and looked into the fire. Salerna sat in a sofa nearby and rubbed his hands as he and Lucius discussed a book about Occlumency they both had read. Draco had found a book and was deep in reading it. Harry sat down in front of him and leaned his back against his uncle's legs. One hand released the cup and stroke his nephew's hair absently. Harry tilted his head up for a moment, and then leaned it against Diablos' knees.

"Dia?" he asked after a few moments.

Diablos hummed, indicating he was listening.

"Salerna told me where you went," the boy said.

"And?" Diablos asked.

"Next time… can I follow?"

The raven-haired man looked down and met emerald eyes.

"If you want to," Diablos whispered. "It's not very fun, I admit."

"I want to," Harry said. "Even if it's not fun."

Diablos hinted the first smile for that day.

-o-

Padma looked around the garden in awe and said:

"It's beautiful."

Harry looked around and said:

"It's nothing special here. Just a plain garden."

"The weather in England is horrible," the girl said with a wince. "Snowing and cold."

"Ugh," the raven-haired boy supplied. "I'll ask Dia to teach me warming-spells before I return there. But let's forget that for now, alright? The weather here is nice and comfy and let's make the most of it."

Padma, Hermione and Draco grinned, showing they liked the suggestion.

-o-

Diablos rubbed his eyes tiredly as he looked over the papers. This was so boring. He gave out a groan and leaned back. He glanced at the clock and saw it was four in the morning. He yawned and stood up. As the room began to spin, he sat down again. He blinked a few times and then was too tired to open them again. He sank back against the chair and fell asleep.

Lucius walked into the library, scratching his head. It was ten in the morning, and Harry said Diablos had not been in his room. The bed was made, so the boy suspected the man had never gone to bed.

He walked up the stairs and spotted a light. He walked over there and blinked. Diablos looked to be uncomfortable and his hand was smeared in ink. The blonde man walked forward, chuckling slightly. The table was full of papers and books, and Lucius picked one up. As he read the lines, he began to frown. What was this?

"It's rude to look at someone's work without asking," a tired voice mumbled at him, and Lucius looked up, startled.

Red eyes looked at him, Diablos' head lolled slightly to the side. The blonde man put the parchment down and said:

"I apologize. Curiosity got the better off me."

"You are forgiven if you help me up from this chair," Diablos said, wincing as he moved his head.

Lucius very gently helped him up and let the slightly smaller man rest against him as he tried to ease the cramping in his neck. The Malfoy helped by doing a slight massage, making Diablos groan. The red-eyed man's head dropped onto his shoulder and Lucius chuckled.

"Harry was worried," he scolded softly. "It is ten in the morning."

Diablos groaned once more and said:

"So there is no chance I can go to bed?"

"Not much I'm afraid," Lucius confessed. "Let's start with getting down from here and then have some potions ready for you."

"Sounds fantastic."

Diablos was relieved when he was allowed to lie down even if it just was a couch. He settled in comfortably as the children were outside in the garden. The Grangers played normal chess, Narcissa was helping Joanne and Lucius coaxed some pain-reliefs into the man.

"Why did you fall asleep up there?" Lucius asked as he sat down on a chair nearby. Diablos looked tiredly at him and said:

"Forgot time, that's all."

"And you fell asleep in an uncomfortable chair just like that?"

"I believe I did so."

"What did you work on?" the blonde man asked.

Diablos stiffened. Then the body gradually relaxed and the man said:

"Nothing."

"Diablos…"

"Nothing of anyone's concern but my own," the red-eyed man said, and that was the end of it.

-o-

The children were huddled together as they watched the Muggles shoot off fireworks. It was New Year and they were going to enjoy the show the Muggles gave them. Although Hermione was used to it, she loved to watch it.

The Malfoys and Grangers sat a bit away while Diablos and Salerna was more in the shadows. Cissi was pouring drinks to everyone, talking with Narcissa and Joanne in the meantime.

Suddenly Diablos felt Salerna put something in his hand. He looked down and widened his eyes a fraction at what he saw.

"As promised," Salerna said, clinking their wine-glasses together. "One glass at New Year."

Diablos looked at the deep red liquid and took a small sip. The taste rolled on his tongue and he closed his eyes. The wine was very good. He had almost forgotten how good wine could actually taste. He shivered and Salerna noticed. He put an arm around the younger man and said:

"What's wrong?"

"I was obsessed with drinking," Diablos said quietly, swirling the wine around in the glass. "Now I haven't drunk for such a long time… I had even forgotten how to enjoy it."

"Never too late to learn it again."

"I guess so…"

Tbc…

* * *

Lame ending but it has to do.

Chapter thirteen: The rest of the year. Be aware that it will take a long time to write, so be patient. I will try not to write too boring things, and have a good climax in the end. Sounds like a great plan, but let's see if I can achieve it.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	14. Chapter 13

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2011-04-07**

-o-

**Chapter Thirteen**

Harry woke up and blinked his sleepy eyes open. When he realized the day, he fell back. He would go back to Hogwarts now. He weakly hit his fists into the pillows, not wanting to go back. He wanted to stay with Diablos; he had missed the man so much.

He finally rose up and tip-toed out. He crept into Diablos' room and sighed in relief as the man continued to sleep. He crawled into the bed, gently snuggling into the man's chest. Diablos stirred and took a deep breath. Harry waited for a few moments, but beside the shifting his uncle had done nothing else happened. The raven-haired man's sleep-warm skin was comforting against the boy's cheek and Harry fell asleep again.

Diablos woke up to feel an arm wrapped around his torso, one hand fisted into his hair. He blinked sleepily and looked at the time. It was eight in the morning and he could hear the Grangers walking down the hall. He tugged his hair free and gently moved away so he could sit up. Harry's arm fell limply onto the blankets and Diablos smiled lightly at the sight. He leaned closer and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Time to get up," he said and Harry stirred. "Open your eyes."

His nephew blinked for a few times before focusing on Diablos.

"Hmm?" he mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"It's eight," Diablos said. "Have you packed everything?"

"Yeah," Harry yawned out. "Think so."

"Go and get ready then," the man said and rose up. He stretched until there was a pop in his spine and then went towards the bathroom. Harry blinked and said:

"Dia?"

"What?" the man asked, looking back at him.

"You don't have a shirt on," the boy said. "You always have a shirt on when you sleep."

Diablos looked down at himself and seemed to realize that now. He blinked.

"Oh," he said after a while, scratching his head. Harry could see a curse scar across the man's back and swallowed. His uncle had been in serious duels after all but the boy had actually never seen any scars from battles. This was the first time. Harry was startled when the man continued, "I guess I was too tired yesterday."

With that, he continued to the bathroom. Harry looked at the time, sighed and got up from the bed as well.

Diablos came out from the bedroom 15 minutes later and walked down the hall to the stairs. He walked down them, his boots soundless on the steps. The man was dressed in his teacher robes as he had a class only a little while after Harry would go back to Hogwarts. He went through today's lectures and training duels he would have as he walked into the dining room where the others were. The Grangers greeted on him happily, and he sent them a small smile in return before continuing to think. Dora came up immediately as he sat down and put down the tray she was holding onto the table. It contained a cup of tea, two toasts with butter and cheese and his lunch for the day. He raised an eyebrow at the lunch box and looked at the house-elf.

"Master eats such unhealthy food otherwise," she chided, waving her finger back and forth, as if Diablos was a naughty child. "Dora must make sure master eats right."

"Why thank you Dora," Diablos said, rather amused at her sudden behaviour. Dora was quite a mother-hen when she wanted to be. "Then I shall eat today's lunch with great pleasure."

The small house-elf blushed but was saved as Harry entered the dining room. She went to the kitchen to fetch his breakfast before Diablos could tease her any further. If anyone had been watching closely, they would have seen the man pout.

-o-

Harry turned to Diablos while Hermione was saying goodbye to her parents. The boy hugged his uncle tightly and Diablos laid an arm around his shoulders before putting a light pressure. He dropped a small kiss on top of the raven hair, making his nephew smile and then said:

"I'll speak to you later."

The boy nodded into his chest before taking one last deep breath of the robe and Diablos' scent before moving away.

"Bye," Harry said, looking up at the red-eyed man and then the two children joined Draco who had waited for them. Diablos watched his nephew long enough so the boy got onto the train before turning around and disappearing into the crowds.

-o-

Harry picked on his food as his three friends watched him worriedly.

"You're just feeling a bit home-sick," Hermione said soothingly. "You'll feel better in a few days."

"I know," Harry said, "but… I just want to be with Dia. I tried to say before I started here he could arrange so I could be taught back in Florence but he said he wanted me to be in a school with kids in my own age. I decided for Hogwarts then even if it was far away."

"Why?" Padma asked as she took a sip from her goblet.

"Draco would be with me," Harry said, "if I didn't get any other friend. I knew I would not be alone at least."

"Happy to be at service," the blonde boy said with a grin.

-o-

Harry curled up on his bed and opened the mirror. Diablos' face showed up not many moments after that and the background told the boy Diablos was in his classroom.

"Dia, why are you at the school?" the boy asked suspiciously.

"It's not what you think," the man dead-panned, seemingly gather some things up with his other hand. "I'm just getting a few things that I thought I had at home."

"So you're just there temporarily?"

"Yes. In fact, I'm about to Apparate home."

The image blurred and suddenly Harry heard the man open the front door to the manor. As the boy saw the familiar walls of the front hall, he nearly sighed in relief. His uncle was not trying to work himself to a collapse.

"Now, how was dinner?" Diablos asked.

"Same old thing," Harry replied. "Weasley and his gang glaring at me, Dumbledore trying to look into my eyes and Severus' fidgeting as he tried to stop himself from hexing the old man."

"Good grief," Diablos huffed. "If I had been Severus, Dumbledore would not be in the school anymore."

"Dia, a teacher can't kill the headmaster."

"Who said anything about killing?" Diablos said, a bit too cheerful in Harry's ears. "I was thinking of dungeons."

"You and your bloody dungeons," Harry growled.

Diablos looked at the mirror when Harry had said his goodbyes for a long time. His other hand, the one not holding the mirror, was absently rubbing his forehead. He stood up finally and went to the library. He took the stairs up to the second floor in long strides and grabbed a book without looking. He opened it but instead of pages there was a well-used method of Muggles. It was a compartment in the book, but of course this one was magical and slightly better than to hold a few simple things. He murmured a spell and simply stepped into the compartment.

He walked down stairs of stone and came into a well-lit room. The walls themselves were in stone and out of the walls were out-carved shelves and on the shelves were a variety of things. Books were dominant but other things as bottles of potions, packs of potions ingredients and strange objects were also decorating the shelves. The raven-haired man dragged out a few books and settled them onto the stone table in the middle. The pages blew up on their own, almost if they knew which page Diablos wanted to see. He set a potions kit down, wherever he had found it and looked at the different books. He settled on looking at the first book he had picked out, leaning closer to read the fading text.

"The mirror of Erised," he murmured. His hand strokes the page lightly, dusting it off. "See what your heart desires…"

His voice faded away and he moved to another book.

"Nicolas Flamel," he continued. "Old lad Nicolas. Maybe I should pay him a visit, the old geezer. He needs to be frightened once in a while."

He turned to the third book and scanned the page. He tapped his finger to his chin as another long finger followed the list written on the page, then on the instructions. He turned around and walked up to where the potions ingredients were. He began picking them out, his hands never hesitating or his pace slowing down. He knew exactly what he wanted and where to find it. He turned back to the table and settled the different bottles or packages down. He then turned to get a knife and a cutting-board nearby. He also settled them onto the table before leaning over the book again.

"Invisibility potion," he muttered to himself as he read the instructions. "Merlin, I am not good at those."

Nevertheless, he settled down to get to work.

-o-

Weeks went past for Harry in a quick pace, and he found himself not missing his uncle so much. He felt bad about that, but life at Hogwarts was great when you ignored certain people. Dumbledore had stopped trying to get close so Harry thought he had finally given up. The Gryffindors were still assholes, except for Neville and the Weasley twins. Fred and George had talked to him a few times in the library and Harry felt like they would become better friends in the future.

Miles continued to roam the halls like a shadow, making students jump now and then when he appeared from some dark corner silently before walking down the halls and watching like a hawk. The man made Harry feel ever safer, like nothing was going to hurt him while he was there.

One day though he did not feel so safe. The boy looked around the corridor and groaned. He was hopelessly lost; he had been on his way from the library to the Ravenclaw common room after dinner when he suddenly did not recognize the corridor. He had walked around for almost a half-hour, trying to find a familiar way, and had been even stupid enough to forget the two-way mirror at his bed. He spotted an open door and pushed it further open so he could get inside, hoping for some sort of clue where he was. The classroom was empty and dusty though. But there was one thing inside that should not just stand in a classroom like that.

"A mirror?" the boy said, blinking.

He moved to the mirror and saw his face for a moment before it changed. To his surprise his parents stood behind him. He looked behind himself but there was nothing. He looked at the mirror again and read the text.

"Erised," he mumbled. Then his eyes widened. "Erised! The mirror of Erised shows what your heart desires!"

He looked more closely into the mirror, and his heart began to clench. Something was wrong.

"This can't be what I desire," he whispered. "This can't be what I want."

There was no Diablos in the mirror; only his parents. They did look happy, but something was missing with them too. The whole picture felt wrong, felt incomplete, like someone tried to control what he should see. Harry stepped closer, and said:

"Is this what I truly want? A life without Dia? A life with my parents only?"

Nothing but silence answered him. To Harry, Lily and James' faces appeared cold when he mentioned Diablos. Something was wrong. Something was clearly wrong. He did not wish this!

"No," he whispered. "I don't want that. I don't want it!"

He looked away from the mirror, but once he glanced at it again it still showed only his parents. He felt tears prickling his eyes and said to himself:

"Stop it! Don't start crying for something this small! Get a hold of yourself!"

But the tears still came when he looked a third time and there were only his parents.

"Yes, I want to see them, but I still want Dia," he whispered. "I still want him in my life!"

There was no reply, no reassurance. There was only silence and the cold eyes of his parents.

-o-

Diablos looked around and was surprised that no one noticed. He was using a simple glamour to look like a Ravenclaw and was walking around in Hogwarts. He had met Padma and helped her from a bit of trouble, and even followed her to the Great Hall where she was on her way for dinner. He walked down a corridor when he heard a sob. Recognizing it, he walked into the classroom from where he had heard it.

Harry was sitting on the floor, sobbing. Diablos nearly dropped the glamour but changed his mind at the last moment; he could be discovered and what good would that do to himself and to Harry? Instead he walked up to the boy and said:

"You okay?"

The boy snapped his head up, tears still in his eyes, and quickly scrambled up.

"I'm fine!" he stammered, rubbing at his eyes. Diablos looked behind the boy and saw the mirror. It was under a spell, and it made him frown. A spell? Why a spell? Had Dumbledore set a trap for his nephew? Had Dumbledore set the mirror up to show fake things, to question Harry's wishes and dreams? Sounded like the old man but the fact did not make Diablos any happier. It just made him angrier at the old man than he already was.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the mirror.

"Just a mirror," Harry gasped. He brushed past the man before Diablos got a chance to stop him. The man watched his nephew run off, and clenched his hands for a moment to stop himself from running after. He had things to do, and he trusted _her_ to keep Harry safe. Finally he turned around to the mirror, faint marks of nails in his palms and even a little blood. He stepped closer and brought a hand to the surface. With some muttered words, the spell was gone. He looked into the mirror briefly and what he saw made his heart clench.

"True, I desire that," he murmured, touching the surface gently with his fingertips. "But a desire is merely a desire; they shall never become the truth."

He looked around, made sure no one was there and then stepped even closer, his breathing fogging the glass. He sliced up the palm of his left hand with a small knife he had in his pocket and began speaking in a language nearly no one knew anymore. Small breathless words spilled from his mouth, each sounding like his last one and the blood began to move.

-o-

Harry felt embarrassment creep inside of him. Who was that Ravenclaw anyway? He had not seen him before. The teen had had short, dark hair and grey eyes, looking like no one special. Maybe Hermione would know who it was.

His face heat up when he saw the same student walk into the library where he was! He sank down into the chair he was seated in but the Ravenclaw did not seem to notice him. He went straight to Madam Pince and bent forward to ask her something. She looked at him and he showed a paper to her. The librarian checked it thoroughly and then nodded briskly. She rose up and led him to the forbidden section of the library. Harry made round eyes as she opened it for him and the slim teen slunk inside with a quick smile. The boy looked quickly back to his book once the librarian turned around and walked back to her desk.

Once she was absorbed in her books again, the boy looked up. He looked towards the forbidden section. Who was that Ravenclaw?

-o-

Diablos slipped out from the forbidden section with a few books shrunken in his pocket. He thanked Madam Pince once more, seeing her blush and pretended not to see Harry. The boy was blushing so he probably felt embarrassed and then it would be better if Diablos pretended he did not see the raven-haired boy. He exited the library.

He walked quickly to the entrance doors and downed a potion. He grimaced at it but the effect was immediate. He disappeared into nothingness and quickly made his way to the Forbidden Forest from where he had come to the school in the first place. He could visit Nicolas now while he was in England he figured and started planning that trip as he walked into the forest.

-o-

A knock on the door made Nicolas Flamel turn his head and frown a bit. He was not expecting visitors but he got up and went to open anyway.

The sight made him gape. In front of him stood none other than Diablos Potter.

"Diablos?" the old man said in surprise, holding a hand to his heart. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too Nicolas," Diablos replied with a huff. "May I come in?"

The old man let the younger male in and said:

"Let's be quiet. My wife is asleep as she has not been healthy lately."

Diablos nodded and was led to the living room.

"For what reasons are you here then?" Nicolas asked as he poured up a bit of wine to the red-eyed man.

"The Stone," Diablos replied and tilted his head.

"It's at Hogwarts," Nicolas replied, trusting the younger male with the information as usual. "So many knows it's here with me, so I needed a new place if just for a little while. I didn't want it close to Albus but the school is a safe place, especially with her. Dumbledore even had a three-headed dog to spare so to speak, and a perfect place where it would be a large space underneath. You know the whole nine-yard, a trap door and challenges before you can get close to the Stone. Besides, no one but me really knows how to use it so if they steal it nothing will happen except for the fact they will die."

"Someone is out to steal it anyway, since he does not know the truth about your Stone," Diablos said, sitting down comfortably and holding the wine-glass against his temple. The rather cold temperature cooled his skin down and he shut his eyes drowsily for a moment before speaking again, "That man is Voldemort."

The aged man looked at the younger one sharply and said:

"How come you always know all these things? Are you a bloody Seer among everything else you can do?"

Diablos merely smiled and continued:

"Want me to stop him from walking to his own death?"

-o-

Salerna looked around the empty hall once more with a deep frown, seemingly expecting the red-eyed man to pop out of nowhere. True, Diablos had no lessons that day but the white-haired man had been certain the younger man would be at home in the library or the living room. But he had been searching through the whole manor and there was no sign of life. Salerna thought himself seeing Dora at some time, but it could easily have been an illusion on his side. The house was rather intimidating once empty so Salerna could have imagined the house-elf if just to feel a bit less alone.

Suddenly the door opened behind him and Salerna turned around, startled. Diablos looked at him and cocked his head to the side.

"Where were you?" Salerna asked, confused.

"Made some business."

"Where?"

"In England, and some other places," Diablos replied, putting his outer robe up. "Want something to drink?"

"Something cool would be nice," Salerna said. "What kind of business?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"I'm not a cat, and therefore curiosity cannot kill me."

"Alright, curiosity killed the white-haired man called Salerna."

"Fine, fine, I won't ask," the man said with a pout as he followed Diablos into the kitchen. "Where are all the house-elves?"

"Cleaning the house," Diablos said as he began fixing something to drink. Salerna frowned yet again; he had searched through the whole manor for Diablos and had not seen one single house-elf. What, had they been hiding from him? Diablos began speaking, startling the white-haired man yet again, "How about ice water with lemon?"

"Lemon sounds nice," Salerna said, calming his heart down before putting his head onto the younger man's shoulder to look on. "I must admit you are in a very cheerful mood today. May I ask why?"

"Oh, I met up with someone I had not visited in a long time," Diablos said as he poured up ice water in a glass. "He had a lot to tell, and I had a lot to ask."

Salerna accepted the glass and took a sip as they moved towards the living room.

"Hmm, Diablos is very cheerful today," he said and cocked his head. Diablos glared a warning to him. "Ah, there's the old Diablos I know."

The red-eyed man sat down in a chair and said:

"And for what reason are you here then?"

"No special."

Diablos raised an eyebrow. Salerna shrugged, and continued:

"Fine, I was bored."

"And you come to me? Why not go to your lovely wife?"

"She's in France."

"And doing what?" Diablos asked, puzzled. Salerna looked at him as if he was crazy and replied:

"Do you think I know?"

-o-

"No, I've never seen him before," Hermione said as she came out from the memory. "I reckon he must be in sixth or seventh year, so we can ask them for someone with that description."

Harry nodded thoughtfully.

"Did he take any books out with him from the forbidden section?" she asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "He was in for such a short while I can't think of any reason why he went inside."

The girl frowned and they were still in deep thought when Padma joined them. She looked at them both and said:

"What's wrong?"

"There is a Ravenclaw in this school that doesn't seem to belong here," the brunette replied and looked at Padma. "Do you know a teen looking like this?"

As she spoke, she gently presented an image of the teen with a simple spell. Padma looked at the image and shone up. Harry and Hermione blinked at her reaction.

"Yeah, I saw him earlier!" the girl said, and the other two listened closely. "Parvati and that Brown were horrible to me when I was going to eat dinner, and then he came and stopped it! He was really nice and followed me to the Great Hall!"

"You spoke with him then?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, a bit. Why?"

"I don't know him," Hermione said.

"He didn't say his name," Padma said, trying to remember as much as possible to help her friends. "He was very polite though, and called me Miss Patil even if he was so much older than me. He even bowed to me before letting me walk in!"

"He didn't follow with you?"

"He said he had already eaten dinner and was on his way to the library when he met me," Padma said. "I felt so stupid but he only smiled at me."

"Don't tell me you liked him," Hermione said, and had to giggle when Padma blushed.

"I couldn't help myself!" she said, red in her face. "He was really handsome up close, really! And I've never seen anyone who was that polite!"

Harry smiled at her while she continued to blush.

-o-

"Harry!"

The hushed voice made the boy turn around and look at Fred. George popped up behind Fred and they sat down at his table at the library.

"You showed us the guy no one seemed to know," Fred said and Harry nodded. "He's back."

"What; where?"

"In the history section," George said and pointed. "Seemed to have been sitting there for quite a while. Almost drowning himself in books."

Harry thanked them and the two slunk away smoothly. He put his books down in his bag and rose up. He got to the history section and peered around the corner.

The teen was indeed sitting there, cross-legged and surrounded with books. His grey eyes scanned the pages quickly and he did not seem to be aware of something else.

As if to prove Harry wrong, the teen snapped his head up and turned it to look at the raven-haired boy. Harry jumped, startled. The teen blinked owlishly and then squinted.

"Hey, you're the one I met no so long ago!" the dark-haired teen finally said and got up. He dusted his robes off and stepped over the books. Harry was nervous. As the teen came close he saw the scar, and said, "You're Harry Potter aren't you?"

"The scar gives me away every time," Harry said sarcastically, making the older boy laugh a bit.

After a moment of silence, the teen reached out and touched the scar suddenly, making the boy freeze on the spot. No one had done it before. The cool fingertips travelled over the skin for a moment before moving away. The teen coughed and said:

"Sorry about that; I'm a bit too impulsive."

"Who are you? I haven't seen you around."

"Oh, sorry, sorry. I'm Chenu."

"Chenu?"

"It's French," the teen said. "It means snow white; mother said I had very pale skin when I was born."

"Chenu," Harry said, tasting the word. "It sounds good. How long have you been here?"

"Oh, I come and go," Chenu said. "I'm studying on a distance, but this is my last year. I'm in Ravenclaw but I've never been in the common room. I've never been in classes. I usually just come here for assignments and going to the library."

"So no one knows you?"

"Exactly," the teen said. "Will you tell anyone?"

"Can I tell a friend of mine your name? You helped her a few days ago."

"Ah, miss Patil? Of course you can give her my name."

Chenu suddenly looked at his watch and groaned.

"I have to go," he said and banished the books back to the shelves. "Maybe we meet again, Mr Potter."

"At least call me Harry," the boy said.

Chenu smiled before making a hurried exit.

-o-

Close call. Diablos settled down in the living room with a sigh. He had not expected Harry to be that curious, but hopefully he would not be in the look-out next time. Diablos took out the books he had "borrowed" from the library and settled them onto the table. Sure he had a quite impressive collection but he still needed some small facts that he did not have in his books. So he had to borrow Hogwarts' books for a little while; neither castle nor madam Pince would complain since he would return them all.

"Now, for the plans," he said and put his hands together. "First of all; make sure if _he_ is there or not."

-o-

Quirrel heard a noise behind himself and jumped. He looked around in his classroom but saw no one. He gulped and felt the burning feeling behind his head. He really wanted to rub at the spot, to make the pain go away but that would not do him any good. Not while…

He shook his head to get rid of his thoughts and continued to go through the books. His hands were shaking, but it was only for show.

The noise was heard again and Quirrel whipped around. No one was there but he was still nervous.

Finally he felt alone in the room again, and he could relax.

-o-

Diablos sat by his desk, thinking. How could he do it without making himself an enemy to him? How could he tell the truth in a school where Dumbledore had implanted all kinds of things that reported back to him? How, how, how?

The answer came to him quickly, and Diablos smiled. He could use _her_…

-o-

The snow started to melt around Hogwarts, and all of this filled Harry with joy. Soon spring would pass into summer, and he would be back in Florence for a whole summer with his uncle.

"Harry, you alright?"

He looked up at Draco.

"Huh?" he said.

"You wore this strange smile," the blonde boy said.

"Just thinking," Harry replied, waving his hand. "About the summer."

"We just have to make a trip," Draco said, leaning forward.

"But where?" Harry asked, looking at the blonde boy.

"I don't know!" Draco replied. "Oh, how about America!"

"America? Why there?"

"Because dad has been there a few times, and he says it's a pretty interesting country. Come on, we can ask Hermione to come to. I don't know how well it would go with Padma though."

"We can try," Harry said.

"Yeah, we can."

-o-

"Oh, there will be no trip for Harry. By that time, my plan will be complete and he will hate you all."

Dumbledore laughed as he listened on the conversation. He was seated by his desk, listening to his damn devices he had placed in most rooms in Hogwarts.

"Diablos will never win over me," he said with another chuckle. "Harry will be on our side by the time that devil gets into the country in the summer."

-o-

Diablos had prepared everything. Harry knew nothing of what was going on. He only had a few hunches, but nothing that he should worry about.

The only thing left to do was wait really. Wait for the first move. Diablos was a patient man but he knew someone who was not.

-o-

Spring passed into summer, and the end of the year began closing in. It was time for the final tests and everyone studied like crazy. Harry once were worried over the three-headed dog he had met but now he was sure there was a reason why the dog was there and did not worry about it anymore. All along he, Draco and Hermione had tried to figure out who Diablos had been writing about, but had no such luck. Despite what Hermione had said she would not give up, she finally had to say she had lost the battle this time. There simply was not enough information from what little Harry had seen of his uncle's work. The dog was there for a reason though, but they had finally given up finding out what reason. As long as the damn dog did not get out from there he and his two friends would be pretty much content with the situation.

Though he did not like the smiles Dumbledore had given him lately. The man was planning something, and the boy had a feeling he would not like it one bit. But he was pretty sure Diablos would not let Dumbledore do anything to him. Speaking of the devil… Harry had been counting the days before he could return to Diablos and Italy. He was counting down until he could sleep in his own bed, sit in the dining hall or roam around in the library. Watch his uncle work, maybe even following him to the school…

"Harry?"

The raven-haired boy shook himself out of it and looked up. Hermione smiled at him and said:

"You were off in another world."

"Sorry," he mumbled and returned to his Charms work.

"Something bothering you?" she asked and Padma and Draco looked at him.

"Just counting the days before I can go home," Harry said happily. "I miss my bed."

"So you say sleeping in the same room as me and Theodore isn't good enough for you?" Draco asked.

"With your snoring? Merlin, help me."

"Hey, I don't snore!"

Harry laughed along with the two girls.

-o-

"Hi Harry."

The boy looked up and smiled at Neville.

"How did it go in Potions?" Neville asked as he sat down.

"Pretty good. You then?"

"Horrible," the Gryffindor said miserably.

"I'm sure you made it," Harry reassured.

"I'm just so nervous when I'm in Potions!" Neville said and looked down.

"If it's any comfort, I'm sure you were one of the best in Herbology! You breathe the books in about that subject!"

Neville blushed and the raven-haired boy grinned.

-o-

Diablos woke up and blinked. Why had he woken up? He had been perfectly fine so…

He noticed the tingling sensation crawling over his skin. _He _was on the move. Diablos quickly got out from bed and dressed. He did not bother with his hair since he would change into a glamour either way, and then ran out of the room.

He took the stairs three at the time and his steps echoed in the hall. He threw the front door open, came to the Apparition-spot and vanished.

Unlike his exit from Potter Manor, Diablos' entrance into Hogwarts was quiet. He travelled through the Entrance hall invisible and unheard. He walked past sleeping portraits and came to the stairs. He came to the third floor quickly enough and entered.

The door at the end was slightly ajar and he pushed it open. The three-headed dog was asleep, a harp playing nearby. He waved his hand a bit, spelling it to play a bit longer until he was on his way. He pushed the trap-door open, feeling the potion wearing off and showing his form again. This time he wore a glamour that made him look like a man in his twenties with brown hair and green eyes. He would not doubt be discovered using a glamour, but at least _he _would not know who Diablos really was.

He looked down at the darkness and slowly sat down. He slid over the edge and fell down. The moment he landed he rolled over and moved towards the exit. It moved underneath him but he was not afraid. He came out from there and stood up. He lit the end of his wand and turned around to see what it was.

"Devil's Snare," he murmured. "Interesting."

He began moving again, as he had no time to loose. He had a slight idea of what _he_ would do once they had reached the Stone and Diablos did not want that to happen. The red-eyed man heard the flapping of wings and frowned. He came out into a room and looked up.

"Keys?" he asked to himself. "This must be Filius' work. Though amusing, I do not have the time for this."

He pointed with his wand at the door at the other side and murmured a spell. The door began, despite being wood, melting. He walked forward, being a bit cautious about the flying keys but they did nothing. He walked through the melted door and came to a dimly lit room. He walked forward and came to a chessboard. He looked around and stepped forward, past the black figures. He came to stop when he could see the white figures. He crossed his arms and tapped a finger against his chin absently.

"I have to play to get past, right?" he asked. The king of the white players nodded and he sighed. He turned around and had a look at the black players. Then he pointed at the queen and said, "I'll take your place then, madam."

The queen moved away and he took the space the piece left behind.

"And let the game begin," he muttered.

-o-

Harry woke up groggily from his dream and sat up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. What had woken him up? He had the nagging feeling something was slightly off, but could not figure anything out. He began wondering about the three-headed dog, and that _he_ his uncle had been writing about. Was something happening at that very moment? Harry shook his sleepy head; no, it could not be anything happening. Or his brain was too tired to think up something else. His uncle's paranoia was starting to rub off on him, and the boy grumbled to himself.

Deciding it would probably be better in the morning, he lay back down and fell asleep quickly enough.

-o-

Diablos moved past a giant, unconscious troll while wrinkling his nose. The creature really stank. He had won the game of chess, partly of luck and partly of skill, and was now on his way again.

He opened another door and saw a table with seven bottles on it, and beyond that fire. He closed the door and immediately flames showed up behind him. The raven-haired man narrowed his eyes until he spotted a parchment. He took it up and read what stood. It was a riddle, and only one liquid of these bottles could lead him through the fire in front of him. The man peered from the parchment a bit tiredly to the bottles and thought for a while. His fingers danced over each bottle for a while, mind working before picking up one of them, shaking the bottle and watching the contents. He read the riddle once again to be sure and then put the parchment down and opened the bottle, tipping it back and feeling the potion slide down his throat. It felt like he turned to ice from the inside out but the man did not stop. Diablos walked up to the flames and stepped through.

He came to an open place, and the first thing he saw was the mirror and a man in front. Said man turned around, revealing to be no one else than Quirrel.

"Who are you?" the man shouted at Diablos.

He could feel the power, the foreign power clinging to Quirrel and smiled a bit.

"You're here for the Stone," he replied quietly, "but not for yourself. You are here to give it to your master."

Quirrel paled.

"Only problem is," the raven-haired man in disguise continued, "is that you will give your master nothing else but death if you give him the Stone."

Quirrel started shaking. Diablos stepped closer.

"Nicolas Flamel is a very clever man," he said. "Your master knows this. Your master can hear me too, right? Let me speak to him face to face."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Quirrel stammered.

"I know he has infested himself in your body," the red-eyed man said. "In fact, the reason why you wear that turban of yours is to hide his face."

"Enough!" a third voice hissed. "Quirrel, let me see this man."

The teacher was shaking for real now as he began to unwrap the turban. Diablos waited. The man's naked head soon showed and he slowly turned around. On the back of his head was indeed another face, with shining red eyes, thin nostrils and a lipless mouth. Quite a step down for the guy, Diablos could not help but think. The eyes narrowed and said:

"Do you know who I am?"

"You are Lord Voldemort," Diablos replied. "The Dark Lord of the century."

"And who are you?"

"All in due time," Diablos said. "Walls have ears, especially those walls Dumbledore inhabitants."

"True," Voldemort muttered. "What do you know about the Stone?"

"Nicolas made it in a way it only accepted him and his wife, accidently of course but true," Diablos said. "Various rumours started though and were soon written down, saying that everyone could use the Stone as they wished. Many tried, and many died. Greed will be the downfall of humanity."

"How do you know it?" Voldemort asked, ignoring what the man had said last.

"Because he told me," Diablos said. "Nicolas knows me, and trusted me with this information."

He stepped closer to the mirror, and Voldemort watched him closely.

"You're wearing a glamour," the Dark Lord finally said.

Diablos smiled.

"These walls in particular can have eyes too, thanks to that damn old man," he replied, venom evident in his voice when he spoke of the 'old man'. Voldemort knew exactly who he was talking about. "I have asked her of help but not until later must she act."

"She?" Voldemort asked, frowning.

Diablos did not reply. Instead he stood before the mirror and said:

"I'm going to take the Stone back to Nicolas now, and you will escape."

"It's in the mirror, you fool," Quirrel uttered. "You can't remove it because Dumbledore has put it there!"

The raven-haired man placed both hands on the mirror and leaned his forehead against it. He began speaking, and Voldemort widened his eyes. It was not in a human tongue, it was on something akin to Parseltongue!

"Let me see what he's doing!" he ordered the teacher, who turned around.

The glamour began to melt off, so Voldemort could now see the man who had warned him had pale skin and dressed in black robes. The brown hair began growing longer and turning darker. Behind close eyelids, red began to shine, and when the eyes opened they emitted a clear red shining light. The man tilted his head up and continued to chant his spell. Blood began to move from the mirror, circulating in a circle around the man. Quirrel moved away while Voldemort watched, fascinated.

Slowly a blood red stone came out from the surface above the man, and Diablos reached out with a hand to grasp it lightly. The blood began to disappear into nothingness and Diablos stepped away, hiding his face from the Dark Lord and Quirrel.

"Your face," Voldemort hissed. "I want to see your face!"

"Not yet," Diablos whispered, pocketing the Stone. "Now you are going to run away from here."

"How?" Quirrel asked. "Dumbledore is coming, I can feel it!"

Both Diablos and Voldemort could feel it as well. Diablos spoke out, neither to Quirrel nor to Voldemort:

"It's your turn, my dear."

The walls began to shake. Diablos dared taking away the hand from his face, and Voldemort got his first vision of the man.

The deep red-blue eyes drew him in, the black hair framing the pale face reached almost the waist and the robes were not only black but deep blue as well.

"Who are you?" the Dark Lord finally whispered. Diablos smiled gently and replied:

"Me? I am just a simple devil among the humans."

He stretched out his arms and the floor underneath him began to open.

"Who was the person you spoke off?" Voldemort screamed, knowing this mysterious man would soon be gone. "Who was she?"

"She is this castle," Diablos said and tilted his head. "She is Hogwarts, and she is everything around here. Every stone is her, every hall is her, every corridor is her, and every wall is her. And soon Dumbledore will learn that the hard way."

Hogwarts swallowed Diablos whole, but not before he had the chance to thrust a Portkey into Quirrel's hand. The man disappeared the split second after the raven-haired man had vanished.

-o-

When Dumbledore came into the room with McGonagall, Sprout, Flitwick and Severus, the room was back to normal except for one thing; the mirror of Erised was destroyed, the shards lying destroyed in a number of thousands.

"Who were they?" Dumbledore shouted to the walls. "Who were they who stole the Stone?"

There was no answer this time. Instead the room began to darken, and the walls seemed to close in on them.

"Hogwarts?" Dumbledore said but he already knew what she was saying.

The castle was no longer a tool of his.

-o-

Diablos came inside and closed the doors with a weary sigh. That spell was pretty exhausting for his body rather for his magic levels. He yawned and kicked his shoes off. He walked through the hall and upstairs. He came to his room, threw his robe onto a chair and fell onto the bed. He gathered the sheets and blankets over himself and closed his eyes. Done and over, and nothing had gone wrong. A rather success.

Now the only problem that was left for him before Harry came home was cleaning up that damn library of his. He had used it rather well the last few months, and he would not want his nephew to know he had spent more time there sleeping in a chair than in his own bed.

Tbc…

* * *

Phew, finally done. I skipped on practising for a religion test for this chapter, since it's been a bit of a neglect going on! I feel like a bad mother since I haven't updated. Hopefully I'll get a new chapter of my other story A Different Life out soon as well. I'll deal with that chapter tomorrow… hopefully.

Alright, chapter 14: Dumbledore's plans for Harry; what are they really? Will he succeed? What will Harry do? Most likely a bit of a short chapter, so it will hopefully come out pretty soon.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	15. Chapter 14

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-o-

**UPDATED 2012-03-05**

-o-

**Chapter Fourteen**

Harry woke up and stretched his arms. He blinked and felt like he had forgotten something during the night. He thought for a few minutes, but could not remember what it was. Giving up, he got out of bed to freshen up and have some breakfast while wanting the last three days go much faster so he could go home.

-o-

Dumbledore wanted to smile evilly but being who he was, he controlled himself. This was perfect! Fudge really was useless but once he got to order some people around he felt like he was important and therefore easier to use. The man cared more about votes than real problems.

Diablos Potter was now forbidden to get into England and had to go through a thorough control that would keep him at the Ministry at least for a week. And once he got out, Harry would already have been turned over to the Light side, one way or another.

-o-

**Three days later**

Diablos was not pleased at all at this very moment. He drummed his fingers. The Auror by the door gulped fearfully as the man's magic slowly began to build up. The raven-haired man tried to keep his temper under control but he was losing the fight for the first time in a long time. Badly. The Auror began inching away, eyes wide. Diablos did not notice it, his eyes now completely red and slowly turning brighter. His fingers drummed harder. The Auror gave a weak excuse and quickly fled the room. Diablos growled low in his throat, but not at the poor Auror.

This had to be Dumbledore's doing! It just had to be! Fudge had never forbidden him going into England as he wished before; he was still registered in the country. The old headmaster was clearly planning something and Diablos needed to find out right this moment, or else he would end up killing someone.

-o-

Harry stepped down from the train and into the crowds, looking around for his uncle. Hermione and Draco had gone out before him but he didn't spot them. Neither could he see Diablos anywhere. He frowned and craned his head when he was suddenly grabbed by someone and Apparated from the station.

"Let go of me!" he screamed once they had landed. "Let me go!"

"Calm down, child!" a man's voice replied. "You will never have to return to your evil uncle again, so calm down now!"

Harry stopped struggling, thinking hard. Something had happened, and it had to be Dumbledore's planning. Something was stopping Diablos from collecting Harry, and it had to be something big. The hands released him now when he wasn't struggling anymore.

"There now," a woman's voice came, "you can open your eyes now."

Harry did so and came face to face with the two Weasley adults, smiling proudly at him, and behind them was the smiling Dumbledore. Harry kept himself still, stiffened when Molly cooed and hugged him.

"Poor boy," she cooed, "you poor boy. You must have been treated awfully at that horrible man's house!"

"It's not very civil of you to kidnap a child," Harry said at her and she retreated as if bitten. His eyes were hard as he looked at them all in turn, and he moved away when Molly reached for him.

"Now, now Harry my boy," Dumbledore said and stepped forward. "Let's get you settled into your new home."

"I only have one home," Harry said but did walk up to the house as staying outside would do little to help him. He didn't know where he was, and had to figure out a plan to get out of there.

Then it struck him. Bill. He just had to ask for Bill. When the adults couldn't see him, Harry smiled.

-o-

Ron smiled smugly as he saw Harry before proceeding with stuffing his face with food. Harry didn't touch his own food. He wasn't staying, and therefore didn't have to eat.

"Eat up!" Molly said, looking pitifully at his frame, and acting as if he was supposed to be there. She had wrenched off his outer robe earlier, and nearly succeeded pushing on a jumper she 'had especially knitted for him, the poor boy.' Harry did not appreciate the gesture. "You're so small, didn't that man feed you at all?"

"It runs in the family. Both my father and Dia were small for their age."

"Now, now, you don't need to speak about your uncle ever again," Molly said, trying to make Harry eat by pushing the fork into his mouth. "Thanks to Albus you never have to go back there again."

To show how much he liked that, Harry spit out the food she just had forced in.

"I don't eat food from vermin like you," he snapped, and she jumped in fright. "You kidnapped me, forcing down your poisoned, disgusting food down my throat, try to dress me like I'm a doll, and I'm supposed to be grateful? Don't delude yourself."

He turned his head to stare at the door, waiting for Bill. He wanted home.

-o-

Bill stepped into the room where Diablos was and sat down. The man looked at him, the eyes bright red and jaws clenched. It made Bill slightly nervous, but not afraid.

"I just got called home," Bill said. "Mum said she wanted the family gathered to greet our new family-member… Harry."

The colour in Diablos' face drained and he rose up, walked over to the wall and slammed his fist into the stone. It cracked under the pressure and Bill swallowed. That's when the door opened again, and both men turned to see who it was.

"Minister Fierre," Diablos breathed out.

The Italian minister with the full name Jean Fierre smiled at the man and said:

"I heard of your troubles through that Fudge just an hour ago. He felt so proud over what he had done, not even aware he's broken his own laws, and I felt it was only right to come here and correct… the situation. If the guardian cannot go to the child, the child has to come to the guardian. Do you know anyone who knows the family he's being kept at?"

Jean's voice broke faintly on French since he originated from there, however, he had moved to Italy some years before.

Diablos pointed wordlessly at Bill, who said:

"Actually, they're my family. Mum called me, explained the situation and I was actually planning going there and getting Harry myself."

"Let me get you some assistance if they put up with a fight," the minister said, clapping his hands in delight. "They're waiting just outside the door. I'll be back in a minute, Diablos."

Diablos couldn't help but smile gratefully at Jean who only winked before showing Bill outside.

-o-

"Harry, you will of course share a room with Ronnie, so you two get to know each other," Molly gushed out while Ginny stared at the boy intently. Harry wondered briefly if someone had slipped her a love-potion while he wasn't looking.

"I'm not sharing his room, because I'm not going to live here," Harry replied.

"Now, Harry, let's calm down," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Yes, we'll arrange everything," Molly continued. "I'm sure you'll only be too happy to be placed in Gryffindor by the start of the second year, and it will all be fine! You'll be on the rightful path!"

Harry wanted to vomit. By the looks of it, so did the twins.

"So…" he said in an effort to make them shut up about plans that was never going to happen. "These are all your kids?"

"No, our eldest isn't here yet," Arthur replied, seemingly believing that Harry had accepted the fact they were his new family. "Bill, he works in Egypt so it might take him a while to get here."

"Bill," Harry echoed, silently praying the man would hurry up.

"He works with Gringotts," Ron said, nose high. "People like you wouldn't understand."

"So he's working with Goblins?" he said instead of rising to the bait. He was getting hungry. He wanted to eat Dora's dinner, have her fuss over him and his uncle. He wanted to see Dora and Diablos argue about the food the man was eating since the house-elf said it was too little and Diablos always replied with she was loading up too much. They were both so stubborn.

"So what if he is?" Ron sneered, making Harry wake up from his thoughts.

"Guess that's a nice job," Harry said, looking at Dumbledore. "Would really _enjoy_ such a life." Dumbledore's nostrils flared as he paled in anger. Harry smirked, and continued, "Or maybe I'll be a teacher like Dia. It's cool watching him and Salerna duel."

"Duel?" Charlie dared to ask. He had been quiet during the whole meal, looking uncomfortable, so there might be some hope for him yet.

"Yeah. Salerna fights with endurance and Dia often choose Black Arts."

"Black Arts?" Molly shrieked. "He's been exposing your poor mind to Black Arts, oh Albus, it's a miracle you took him away from that horrid place!"

"Yes," Harry interrupted, "I've seen him do Black Arts. And I _loved _it. Dia can do some amazing things with his magic. He promised to teach me when I got older and honestly? I can't _wait _for it to happen."

Molly's face was one of true horror, and Dumbledore rose in fury.

"And frankly, I'd rather be tortured with Black Arts than staying with you," Harry said while looking at her.

"You watch your mouth!" Molly said, scandalised. "That's no way to talk to us, we who have rescued you from that horrible man!"

"Rescued me?" Harry said with a laugh that made her shut up. "You mean kidnapped me, against my will, trying to force me to become part of your family. I have a family, and I would really like to go home to that family _now_."

Before they could start yelling at him the outer door opened and Bill stepped inside.

"Bill!" Molly cried out. "Finally; dinner's almost over!"

"What's going on?" Bill asked his mother.

"Harry here is going to live with us," she said happily, digging her fingers into his skinny shoulders, as if daring him to protest. "Isn't that _lovely_?"

"Except for the part he's not your child," Bill said. "Nor that he wants to be here. What were you promised? To forever be remembered as the ones who took care of the Boy-Who-Lived? Right now, his uncle is at the Ministry and is very worried about him."

"That devil doesn't know how to worry!" Molly said, pulling Harry towards her, and making him yelp.

Bill strode forward, yanked Harry out of her grip and when she lunged for the boy again he whipped out his wand, pointing it at her chest.

"I'm not here for dinner," he said. "I'm here for Harry, and for Diablos, a man I regard as a brother. I'm here to take Harry home."

Bill picked Harry up, snatched his outer robe on the peg near the door before throwing the door open with a violent sling of his arm. Harry stared at the redhead, never having seen him so angry.

Dumbledore almost flew behind him, wand out and face white of fury but he stopped dead when he got out. Ten Italian Aurors pointed their wands at him, faces unreadable. They were all dressed in formal uniforms, informing the headmaster they were of the highest rank and probably sent there by the Italian Minister himself. Hurting one of them, just one, and they would be at war with Italy.

"What?" he still managed to say.

"This is also on the orders of Minister Fierre," Bill said. "By this time tomorrow, whatever you've worked up against Diablos Potter will be gone and can never be raised again. You can never refuse him entrance into England again."

Bill Disapparated, the Aurors following silently and they left the headmaster and Weasley family in shock and anger. Except for two, secretly smiling twins.

-o-

They had barely landed before Harry propelled himself out of Bill's arms and at Diablos who caught him tightly. Diablos picked him up even as the boy's arms tightened around his neck. Harry could feel his uncle's hand wove into his hair and suddenly felt so exhausted. He had never been this glad to see his uncle again.

Miles had joined them, as he had travelled back to Italy without knowing what Dumbledore had planned to do. He felt a bit guilty of it, but Diablos had calmed him down.

Diablos turned to the Italian Minister who said:

"Go home. I'll deal with all the details. I foresee no future problems for you entering the country."

"Thank you," Diablos said. "I wouldn't know what I would have done without your help."

"Possible committed a massacre before going and getting him yourself," Jean said. "Good thing I heard of it instead."

"Yeah," the red-eyed man said. He still didn't move.

Jean smiled fondly. Ever since he had challenged Diablos on a duel, before the man was a teacher, and the red-eyed man had won, Jean had always watched out for him.

"Hurry home, petit Diablos. Get some food in your child's stomach, and yourself, and get some rest."

"Would you like to come with us?" Diablos asked Bill.

"You bet," the redhead replied. "I haven't had dinner yet."

"I'm hungry," came Harry's muffled voice. "Her food was vile and she tried to force it down my throat. I want Dora's steak."

"Then Dora's steak you will get," the raven-haired man said, rubbing his back. "Let's go home."

Harry had never heard a more wonderful sentence.

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter fourteen done!

Chapter fifteen: The summer. What will be in there I have no idea. Look forward to it.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	16. Chapter 15

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

Before I even started writing Harry Potter-fics, I had the plot to one in my head that I never wrote down. Then I read the fic _Déguiser_ by Batsutousai, and the fic came back to me. It's not like that fic, but you can see some patterns. Many thanks to Batsutousai whose fic made me remember.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Thanks for all the reviews but there was one reader who said something about prophecies, that once they have started they are pretty much unavoidable and if they aren't true they won't happen at all. Err, maybe true but I guess I should've written how prophecies are in this story:

First of all, Harry's and Voldemort's prophecy is really fake and therefore nothing happens at all. The thingy with Voldie marking Harry is because he believed the prophecy was true.

Second of all, in my story you can stop a prophecy; it's just not many people knows how.

Well, that's all about prophecies. Now there was a reviewer who asked if Diablos and Salerna would be together. The answer is no, since Salerna is already happily married with Cissi. They act a bit closer than friends, but that's because they are closer than friends. And Salerna likes making Diablos more 'human' so to speak. You won't see a pairing between them, but you will see more happy moments they share.

Hopefully I won't make too many confused. Well, I'm happy you enjoy my story and enjoy now chapter fifteen.

Wait… it feels like I've forgotten something.

…

Oh, that's right; sorry for the late update guys and girls! Inspiration came only in short periods of times, so I could only write now and then.

-

**Chapter Fifteen**

Dora opened the door for them and ushered the three in.

"What do you wish for dinner?" the house-elf asked, looking up at Diablos.

"Your wonderful steak," Diablos replied. "We've had a rather long and tiresome day."

"Steak it will be!" she said. "Will be ready in a half-hour!"

"Lovely," Diablos said and watched Dora disappear. "Shall we go up to your room with your things, Harry?"

The boy nodded into his chest and Bill said:

"I'll go to the living room. That way, right?"

Diablos nodded to confirm where the redhead was pointing and Bill disappeared down the hall. The two Potters walked upstairs and Harry said:

"Do I have to go back to Hogwarts?"

"Do you want to be there?" Diablos asked and looked down at him.

"I don't know," the boy replied, looking up at his uncle. "I can't look at Dumbledore without getting pretty angry now but I like being there except for a few people."

"I'll see what I can do about it," the red-eyed man promised. "There will be troubles but Hogwarts is maybe the best for you, despite the distance. As you said, you like being there and you do have very good friends there. Now, however, the only thing you have to worry about what to say to Draco and Hermione."

"They were just in front of me," Harry moaned. "I can't believe I lost them so quickly."

"Draco was apparently tearing his hair out of worry," the raven-haired man said. "Hermione made him promise to contact her once he knew you were safe."

"Can I fire-call him after dinner?"

"Of course."

"Shit, I let Hermione carry Hedwig!"

"Hedwig is also with Draco," Diablos said. "He offered to take her home. I will get her later."

Harry gave a sigh of relief at the news his owl was safe.

"Just one thing, Harry…"

"Yeah?"

"It will be my fingers she will try to nip off, so refrain yourself from laughing then."

The boy giggled and Diablos glared. They came to Harry's room and Diablos pushed the door open. The emerald-eyed boy ran up to the bed and fell down onto it with a weary sigh. The raven-haired man followed in a much slower pace and sat down on the edge of the bed. The boy snuggled into the covers and let out another sigh.

"Want me to unpack?" the red-eyed man asked and stretched a hand out. Harry nodded and pulled out the shrunken trunk. He gave it to his uncle who enlarged it. The boy blinked and said:

"Dia, did you just use wandless and nonverbal magic?"

"Yes. I do it quite a lot, Harry."

"Not for things like that."

"I guess now I did," Diablos replied and opened the trunk. The boy watched the man unpack the things and finally voiced something that had been nagging him for a long time:

"Dia?"

"Yes?"

"You know the mirror of Erised…"

"Yes," Diablos said and looked over at the boy. "What about it?"

"Can the mirror lie to you?"

"Lie? What brought this sudden interest?" the man asked, frowning. He knew what Harry wanted, but had to pretend he did not know. Harry looked pleadingly at him and he continued, "Alright, if you insist. No, it can't lie to you. However, it's very easy putting spells and charms over it so it'll show something else than what you really want. That to any help?"

"Yeah," Harry said with a weak smile. It would not surprise him if Dumbledore had put the mirror there so he would find it. "That helped."

Diablos cocked his head at his nephew and then sat down next to him.

"Something troubling you?" he asked as he stroke the raven hair. Harry was a bit shocked over the genuine concern in the man's movements, since it rarely showed, but then shook his head slightly. He moved over and wound his arms around the man's middle, his head against the chest. "Harry?"

"I'm fine," Harry whispered. "Just… don't ask me anything."

Diablos held his nephew until Dora called out dinner was ready.

-

Salerna and Cissi came after hearing the news, and the woman just about hugged the life out of the poor boy. Diablos left Bill and Harry in their care to go to the Malfoy Manor and get Hedwig.

He stepped out from the fire-place and dusted himself off as Lucius came in with a very sullen owl in cage.

"She's vicious," the blonde man informed.

"I know," Diablos sighed. "Is Draco nearby by any chance?"

"Up in his room. Why?"

"I want to surprise Harry. Can Draco sleep at my manor tonight? I think Harry was more worried about them than himself."

"Let me get him for you," Lucius said with a smile as he handed the cage over and exited.

A few minutes later Draco came with a light bag with his parents in tow.

"Say hello from Cissi from me," Narcissa said to Diablos after a small hug and a kiss on the cheek. "We will visit soon."

"Yes, ma'am," Diablos replied and Lucius chuckled behind his hand. The red-eyed man was far too formal sometimes.

Soon Diablos held the cage tightly and looked at Hedwig. She glared back at him and he said:

"Yes, unfortunately we are going to travel the uncomfortable way. So keep your breath and don't flax around, please."

The owl seemed to sigh and then burrowed up as much as she could. Diablos said his goodbyes and then entered the green fire.

-

Diablos waited until Draco got out after him before starting walking. Talk and laughter could be heard from the dining room. Diablos dusted Hedwig off gently and banished the cage to Harry's room. She nipped on his fingers as expected, a bit harder than usual, before settling on his shoulder. For good measure she nipped his ear a few times as well. She was not pleased with the travel and Diablos could only imagine what Lucius had been through. Why he ever bought the snowy-white owl for his nephew, he no longer remembered. It might have been because Harry liked her at first sight, but he was not so sure.

He entered the dining hall and behind him came Draco. Harry shone up and shouted:

"Hedwig! Draco!"

He ran up to hug the blonde boy and Hedwig flew down to land at her owner's shoulder, nipping his ear affectingly. Diablos sat down again by the table, inspecting the wounds the owl had given him. Salerna looked at the small wounds and said:

"What went through your mind when you bought Hedwig?"

"Nothing apparently," the red-eyed man said. "But Harry likes her."

"She's rather intimidating when she wants to," the white-haired man and Bill chuckled. "It's true, Billie boy!"

The redhead blinked at Salerna before laughing.

"Billie boy?" Bill wheezed out. "Oh Merlin, please something better than that!"

Salerna and Diablos turned their eyes to him. Then they looked at each other and Salerna raised an eyebrow. Diablos shrugged and went back to checking the wounds before healing them.

"It's decided; your name is from now on Billie boy!" Salerna said with a happy grin. Bill looked horrified while Cissi and the two children laughed.

"Diablos, do something!" the red-haired man cried out. Diablos looked at him and drawled out:

"Do I look like Salerna's mother to you or what?"

-

"Bill?"

The redhead looked up at Harry and raised an eyebrow.

"That's so like Diablos that it's freaky," the boy informed as he sat down. "Can you tell me some things about your brother Charlie?"

"Charlie? He's kinda like me," Bill said and frowned. "We aren't that close to each other, but he doesn't like mum and dad that much for their obsession with the Light and Dark. He works with dragons, and is home very little. Doesn't speak much if he can help it. Why do you want to know about him?"

"He didn't seem to want to be at the house today," Harry said.

"I'm sure he was pretty uncomfortable," the redhead said.

"I want to know if he's okay like you and the twins."

"Fred and George?"

"U-hu. They've helped me out a few times in school," Harry said.

"Oh. Well, Fred and George are on your side that much I can tell. With Charlie I don't know… I'll ask him; I'm the only one in the family who knows where he lives."

"Great."

-

"You haven't tucked me in for ages."

"I have," Diablos protested feebly as he tucked in the corners of the comforter over Harry.

"Have not," Harry said back and stuck his tongue out.

He was secretly pleased when Diablos sat down on the bed instead of walking out. The man continued with his fussing, if it now could be called that, and Harry's eyes dropped close.

"Tired much?" Diablos asked.

"This day has been so long," Harry mumbled.

Diablos moved to stroke his nephew's hair, absently humming on a song until the boy was asleep. Only then did he move out from the room.

-

A scream woke him up, and Diablos was up before he was really thinking. He rushed out from his room, dressed only in a pair of sleeping-pants and the bracelet Salerna had given him at Christmas. Draco came out from the guest-room, eyes sleepy but worried.

"Go back to bed," Diablos said. "I'll handle it."

Draco nodded and carefully shut the door again. Diablos hurried into Harry's room.

The boy was thrashing on the bed, and the red-eyed man sat down and caught the boy's limbs and pressed him tightly against his own chest. Harry woke up with a start, and was panicked for a moment. Then he felt the familiar scent of his uncle drifting to his nose and he relaxed. He wound his arms tightly around Diablos and whimpered out:

"Daddy…"

Diablos froze. He swallowed and looked down at Harry's raven hair. The boy had his eyes closed, his ear pressed against the red-eyed man's chest where the heart was. Diablos began putting Harry back down but said boy whined and said 'Daddy' once more, clutching onto him tighter. The man closed his eyes for a moment before whispering:

"Yes, Harry. I'm here. Daddy's here."

The boy snuggled happily into his chest after that, arms clutching him hard. Since Harry did not let go of him, Diablos instead lay down onto the bed. He pulled the covers over his nephew and himself and sighed.

"I'm spoiling you," he informed the sleepy boy quietly. Harry only hugged him tighter before falling asleep.

-

Harry woke up to hear the beating of a heart. Concluding it was not his own, he tried to remember what had happened. With a rush, it did.

He had had a nightmare and there was no one there to save him. He had been terrified and then woken up, trapped in someone's embrace. He had wanted to scream when he recognized his uncle. Then… what had he done after that?

Daddy. He had called Diablos daddy. And he had heard Diablos answer him. Harry finally gained courage to open his eyes.

It was morning, but how late it was he had no idea. One of the windows was open, letting the warm air in with the help of the wind. Just the way he loved it; must have been Dora who had done it. He peered upwards into Diablos' sleeping face. He carefully moved out from the loose embrace and sat back to watch the man.

The red-eyed man was yet again not wearing a shirt. Harry wondered when he had stopped with wearing shirts or this new thing was only temporary. The man was relaxed, and breathing deeply which indicated he was deep asleep. A bracelet was around one of his wrists but Harry did not think much of it. Instead he pulled the comforter over his uncle's shoulders and carefully got up. He went to the bathroom connected to his room and made himself ready for the day.

When he came out, Diablos was on his way waking up. The man moved slowly from his side to his back, red eyes blinking open drowsily. He brought a hand up to rub his eyes and Harry bounced down onto the bed. Diablos shot his eyes open and looked around in panic. Once he saw Harry's grin, he groaned and closed his eyes again.

"Come on, get up!" Harry said. "It's nine in the morning!"

"Exactly; too damn early," Diablos complained.

"You're in my bed," the boy said.

"And in whose bed did you sleep at Christmas?"

"Come on, adults are not supposed to sleep in their children's bed!"

"Well, now I am," Diablos muttered. "Off you go; I'm sure Draco wants to hear everything that happened at the Weasleys so he can hate them even more."

Harry pulled the comforter away and Diablos almost whined. But only almost. He finally sat up and looked at his nephew.

"What?" he asked after a while.

"You let me call you daddy last night," the raven-haired boy said.

The red-eyed man stiffened slightly. He then relaxed and replied:

"Yes, I let you. You were quite upset over whatever you had dreamed about."

"I dreamed I was taken away," Harry said. "That I would never see you again."

"Harry, why did you call me… daddy?" Diablos asked, hesitating at the informal term. He had never called John dad, much less daddy. It had been a surprise not only for himself but also for his parents when he called John father.

"Because you are my dad," Harry said. "I know James is my real dad and all, but he's gone. You're here, and you adopted me. You take care of me, and I see you as my dad. I've always has."

Diablos looked at him, and said:

"That makes sense… I'm not used at the term I guess."

He rose up from the bed and stretched. Harry watched him and said:

"Can I call you that again?"

The raven-haired man was not sure what to say first. Then he said the only thing that came in mind:

"You may."

Harry's grin was brighter than the sun light that morning.

-

"He looks like he's walking on clouds."

Diablos turned to look at Salerna who only continued to watch Harry.

"We spoke a bit, and he was happy that I agreed on something," the red-eyed man said, shrugging.

Harry and Draco were outside in the garden, the two men sitting by a table not too far away. They both had no classes until the afternoon and could relax for a bit.

"What did you agree on?" Salerna asked.

"Curiosity killed the white-haired man called Salerna."

"You know, most people just say curiosity killed the cat."

"I like being specific," Diablos said with a sniff.

"But it won't help now. What did you agree on?"

The red-eyed man looked at Salerna who this time looked at him from the corner of his eyes with a small smile. Diablos sighed and said:

"I let him call me daddy. So what?"

The white-haired man whipped his head to stare at Diablos. The raven-haired man ignored him.

"You let him call you daddy? Didn't you say you would never let him call you that?" Salerna asked.

"He had a nightmare last night, and called me that. I just went along with it so he would calm down and when he asked this morning I saw no troubles in it."

"Except for the fact you didn't want to be called daddy. Not even dad, or father."

"Everyone changes, Salerna. Even people like me."

Salerna raised an eyebrow at that.

-

"They are so dead!" Draco growled. Harry looked at him and said:

"No, they are not. Not yet anyway."

"But you're continuing at Hogwarts?"

"I think so," Harry said. "I like it there, if you look away from a small number of people."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," the boy said. "Wouldn't want to leave you, Hermione or Padma alone in that school. And I think Neville rather wants to be with us than his dorm-mates."

"Wouldn't blame him," the blonde muttered.

-

"You've gone nuts, Diablos."

Diablos looked irritably at Salerna and snapped:

"How so?"

"You let Harry invite his two friends without complaining!"

"If he wants his friends here, and his friends' families accept, then he can invite them," the man said. "Wasn't it you who said change is good?"

"Yeah, but you're changing too fast for me!"

They were sitting at the restaurant in the school and having lunch. Diablos continued to pick on his food and the white-haired man changed subject:

"I haven't seen you really eat in four days now, Diablos."

"I have eaten at home," the red-eyed man protested. "It's just I'm not hungry at the moment."

"Do I have to go to Dora again?"

"No," Diablos snapped. "I ate yesterday."

"Well, I didn't eat lunch or dinner with you yesterday!"

"Ask Hannah, she was serving lunch here yesterday," the red-eyed man said with a sigh.

Salerna looked closely at the younger man and said:

"You know, you don't look very healthy."

"And?"

"Maybe you should take a few days off to rest?"

"I will, in two weeks."

"What will happen in two weeks?" the white-haired man asked.

"Harry, Draco, young Hermione and Miss Patil had the wonderful idea of going to America," Diablos said before taking a sip of water. "They have been planning for a few weeks the trip. Lucius and I will be the only adults going with them, since the Grangers are busy and Narcissa didn't really have time for it."

"That means you won't rest at all. Going to another place usually means you are just going to get more stressed," the white-haired man said.

"Got any better suggestions?" the raven-haired man asked. "Harry really wanted to go."

"In two weeks right?"

"Right."

"I can go with you. Cissi is going away to Spain in two weeks with a friend of hers, and I haven't been to America in a long time."

"Old man."

"Hush now brat, and finish your lunch."

-

Harry was vibrating of happiness. Tomorrow they would be going to America! He had hardly been able to get down any dinner and was now running around the manor collecting this and that that he would have with him. Diablos was in the library with a book, seemingly unaware of his nephew's crazy running-around.

He finally entered the library and spotted his uncle sitting in a chair near the hearth, asleep. The book had fallen to his lap and his head had rolled to the side. Harry noticed dark rings underneath the man's eyes and walked up to him. The man looked more unhealthy than usual, and the boy wondered if it somehow had been part his fault with his talking about America all the time.

He carefully put the book away and looked at the watch. Nine in the evening; too early for himself but perfect time for his uncle to get some extra sleep. He carefully shook Diablos' shoulder and the man shot up.

"You fell asleep," Harry said carefully and Diablos sank back in the armchair.

"Oh," the man said after a little while. "I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"Come on, you should go to bed already," Harry said. "You packed everything like three days ago, so you can go to bed."

"I would love to but…"

"But what?"

"I'm too tired to move."

The boy sighed and dragged his uncle up. Diablos groaned but managed to stay pretty steady. He walked out from the library with Harry at his heels.

Once he came to his own room the man fell onto the bed on his stomach and Harry had to laugh at his uncle. Diablos made a low growl in his throat but was too tired to manage anything else than roll over to his back and kick his shoes off. Harry helped him with his robes and he was finally comfortable enough to slip under the sheets and fall asleep.

"See you tomorrow," Harry said and the man looked at him.

"You look worried," the red-eyed man said.

"I'm not."

"Really now? How come I don't believe you?"

"It's just I'm worried a bit about you," Harry said. "You've looked really tired lately."

"Just over-working myself," Diablos said with a yawn. "I'll be fine."

"You always say that," the raven-haired boy whispered.

"It's because it's true," the man said. "Now run off and finish packing. Salerna will probably wake us up ridiculously early."

-

Diablos woke up with Salerna almost jumping down onto the bed. The red-eyed man groaned and looked at the time. It was ten to nine and he was still dead-tired. He rolled over to avoid the older man while saying:

"Salerna, why can't you act your age for once?"

"What would be the fun of that?" Salerna chirped. "Up now!"

"I'm tired," Diablos muttered and buried himself deeper into the bed.

"So? Up!"

The covers were dragged off and the raven-haired man pushed Salerna off the bed. The white-haired man gave up a yelp as he went down onto the floor. Diablos flopped back to the bed and did not move.

"Diablos!" Salerna whined as he got up again. "Harry is already up and eating breakfast! Lucius will arrive in a half-hour with the three children, so hurry up!"

Diablos felt frustrated but had no energy to cast the frustration away.

"Leave me alone," he managed to mutter as he dragged himself up to a sitting position.

"Diablos?"

"What?!" His patience was wearing thing now, so it had better be good…

"Might I ask where you got the bruise from?"

Diablos looked to where Salerna was pointing, down to his entire left side where a large, dark purple bruise was. The white-haired man was amazed the younger man could move without screaming in pain.

"Duel," the red-eyed man answered dully. "Had a fresh new class yesterday; they have to learn not to aim on the teacher."

"Maybe the reason that you are tired is because you're focusing all your healing magic onto that spot but you're not really making any progress? But if the bruise was made yesterday…"

"I've had fresh classes for the latest week," Diablos explained at Salerna's puzzled expression, "and they all need to learn not to aim on the teacher. It looked worse before, believe me."

"Well, say that you are injured earlier you idiot!"

The white-haired man stomped off to a cabinet and opened it, knowing it was there Diablos kept some potions or salves for any wounds he would like to hide from Harry (which meant pretty much everything), and drew forth one of the small jars. He then came back to the bed and sat down behind the red-eyed man. He opened the jar and said:

"This will hurt."

"I know," Diablos muttered.

"Don't apply that much healing magic there, okay? It won't work faster and you know that."

Diablos drew back the healing magic as Salerna began applying the salve onto the bruise. The younger man let his head sink down as he tried to relax as much as possible.

"How on earth did you manage hiding this from your nephew?"

"Glamour."

"Why did you hide this from him?"

"I didn't want him to go into shock."

"As usual then."

"Will you hurry up?!"

"Are you snapping at me because this actually hurts?"

"It does hurt, yes," Diablos got out from clenched teeth. "Now, can you hurry up?"

"You have to let it sink in," Salerna argued. "Just bear with it. And how come you only have bruises on one side?"

"Because I always turned to the left when a spell came?"

"When the spell hit, shouldn't you have been affected with the spell itself?" the white-haired man asked, puzzled.

"I had a weak shield up that went into me each time."

"You need to make stronger shields for duel-classes I hear."

"Yeah, yeah…"

After a few minutes, Salerna sat back and said:

"Done. Let that sink in fully before dressing."

Diablos rose gingerly from the bed and moved carefully. The pain was now only a dull ache, so he was not so concerned it would show.

"No outrageous moves or things like that for the next few days," Salerna warned. "You're a healer so you know why."

"I'm not a child," the raven-haired man said, touching the center of the bruise. His breathe was a bit forced when he touched the bruised skin and pulled back. Salerna sighed and stood up from the bed.

"Maybe you should wrap it up," the white-haired man said. "Your ribs could be bruised as well."

"No, I checked and healed them," Diablos said.

Salerna looked at his colleague as the man carefully gathered his robes up and dumped them in the hamper Dora would empty every night. He then walked to the wardrobe and began to search for something to wear.

"Have you Muggle clothes with you?" Salerna asked as he eyed the trunk by the bed.

"Yes," Diablos replied.

"Normal Muggles clothes I mean?"

"Yes, I have," the man said. "Have you?"

"Might be a bit out-dated, but I will not look ridiculous."

Diablos took down a robe that he simply held onto for a long time.

"What are you doing?" the white-haired man asked as he looked at a picture of Harry on the desk.

"Nothing…"

Salerna turned around and saw where his friend's attention was.

"Whose robe is it?" he asked.

"My… father's," Diablos said, the foreign title coming out from his mouth a bit awkwardly. He had called John father a more times in the past but it still was hard to say it. He added without really having to, "John Potter."

The younger man looked at it for a little while longer before putting it back. He drew out a dark red robe and walked back into the room.

"I didn't know you had red robes," Salerna said.

"I only have one," Diablos replied. "Mother gave it to me but I've never used it."

"Isn't too small for you then?"

"No," the red-eyed man said. "I tried it three days ago; still fits like it did back then."

Salerna stared.

"When did you get it?" he finally asked.

"When I was twenty perhaps. Why?"

"You haven't grown anything during those years??"

"Don't start on that," Diablos said. "I am small, and that's the end of it."

The salve had by now completely sunk into the skin and the bruise looked less purple now so Diablos entered the bathroom to get ready for the day, leaving Salerna behind.

-

The white-haired man looked up from a book as Diablos came out from his room fifteen minutes later. He got up from the chair he had been sitting in (not even wondering why the hell Dora had put a chair, a table and a book on the table in a hall; probably only to confuse him) and went to the raven-haired man. Tired red eyes glanced back at him and Salerna said:

"That's it; first thing when we get there is to get you to a bed."

"Not a child."

"I know, but you're not going to enjoy anything once we're there if you are tired."

"True," Diablos muttered and began walking down to the dining hall.

-

Lucius and the children arrived through Floo, and the blonde man came out the last along with Hermione who had never travelled by Floo before and therefore more than nervous. The four children had latched onto each other and were chatting excitedly. Lucius himself sat down with the other two and blinked as he saw Diablos nearly asleep.

"That's why you should've said it from the beginning," Salerna muttered to the sleepy man. "If you hadn't had that stupid pride of yours, you would be much more awake now."

"Salerna…" Diablos said and the white-haired man looked at him. The raven-haired man made a pause before he continued; "Shut up."

Salerna glared.

"You're impossible," the elder man declared and turned to Lucius. "Are we ready to go?"

"I believe so," Lucius said. "What's up with Diablos?"

"Stupidity has currently infected his brain," the white-haired man informed. "Let him sleep it off, then he's fine."

Diablos got up from the chair and pointedly ignored Salerna as he went into the hall where the four children were waiting. He raised an eyebrow and said:

"Are you all ready now?"

"We've been ready for a long time already!" Harry said. "Come on, let's go!"

The group walked out to the Apparation spot where Salerna took Hermione, Lucius Draco and Diablos took Padma and Harry. They Apparated away to the Ministry. Once they were there, Diablos and Salerna led the way to the room with prepared Floo all over the world. Inside was an Auror who looked at them and said:

"Destination?"

"New York," Salerna replied.

"Third to the left over there," the Auror said and pointed. "You're lucky; no one is in a rush to go to New York this morning."

They looked around in the chaos and Diablos asked;

"What's the running around for?"

"They are all going to Australia," the Auror sighed and looked around. "Quidditch game today, Australia's best team against our best team."

Diablos shook his head and led the group to the empty hearth.

"I'll go first," Diablos said. "Hermione, have you travelled with Floo before?"

"No, I side-travelled with Mr Malfoy" she said.

"Alright. It's better the sooner you learn how to use Floo. I want you to listen to me really closely now," Diablos said. "It's fairly easy, as long as you say your destination clearly and then keep your arms to your sides unless you want to loose them."

"Okay," she said, looking wide-eyed at her man at the mention of losing some limbs if you were careless.

Diablos took a pinch of Floo powder and threw it into the fire. He then spoke out:

"New York Ministry, Entrance Hall."

He then stepped through.

-

The man waited and the first to arrive was Hermione. She would have fallen flat on her face if Diablos had not caught her arm. She moved away from the hearth and said while dusting her clothes off:

"I'm not sure I liked that."

"You get used to it," Diablos said. "Try bending your knees slightly next time; it gives you a smoother landing."

She nodded as Padma came out, stumbling slightly but regained herself fairly quickly. After her came Draco and Harry, Lucius and the last one was Salerna. The white-haired man looked around and said:

"I haven't been here in quite some time. Where's the exit?"

"This way," Diablos said and pointed.

"How do you know?" Salerna asked.

"I was here last week."

"What for?" Lucius asked, puzzled.

"Why not?" the red-eyed man said with a shrug. "I had a free period. This way."

-

The children did not want to stay in the hotel suite but wanted to go sight-seeing first thing.

"First of all, put on your Muggle attires then," Salerna said. "Sight-seeing in Muggle New York with wizard clothing on won't be discreet."

Hermione was the only one dressed in Muggles clothes, so the others had to go and change. Diablos however went for one of the rooms and fell down onto the bed. Hermione peeked into the room after him and saw his lean form on the bed. The man had kicked his boots off and enlarged the trunk but was still in his robes.

"Are you tired sir?" she asked.

"Very," Diablos admitted to her. "Salerna knows that though, so just tell him I did what I planned to do."

"And what did you plan to do?"

"Sleep. I'm old, and don't have the same energy as you youngsters."

She giggled at that and said:

"Salerna is older than you and he acts sometimes more immature then us."

"But that's because he's stupid," Diablos said, looking at her. "Go on now, and have fun. If Harry gets sad I'm not there, tell him I'll let him pester me when he gets back."

"Will do, sir!" she said with a mock-salute and ran to meet the others. Diablos looked after the energetic girl, shook his head and lay back down. He was asleep moments after that.

-

He awoke when he heard the outer door bang close and the four children chatting excitedly with each other. Diablos moved around until he sat up on the bed, just in time for Salerna to open the door and peek inside.

"Sorry; did we wake you?" he asked sheepishly. The red-eyed man nodded and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He dragged his fingers through his hair and removed the red robe to leave him in black pants and a white shirt. "Wow, you have a white shirt? I thought everything you owned were black or green."

The raven-haired man glared at his friend who only laughed a bit and exited.

"Dia is awake?" came Harry's voice.

"Awake and awake," Salerna replied. "He's up."

"Dia!"

Harry ran into the room and practically crashed into his uncle. They fell back to the bed and Diablos felt the air rush out of him.

"Dia, you can't believe all the things we've seen today!" the boy shouted happily. Diablos groaned and replied:

"A bit louder, Harry; I don't think China heard you."

The boy glared and sat down on Diablos' stomach. The man looked up at his nephew and said:

"Are you going to stay there or what?"

"Yep!"

"Forgive me but you are no longer six years old. You are getting a bit too big for me."

"Am not!"

The red-eyed man rolled Harry off and sat up. Harry immediately latched onto him and said:

"You just have to see everything we've seen! It was amazing!"

"I'm sure it was," Diablos said. "Tomorrow I will go with you. But for now, dinner I suppose."

As on cue, Harry's stomach growled. The boy blushed while his uncle only chuckled. Harry got up and dragged Diablos to the dining room.

"Diablos, your hair look horrible," Salerna commented. Diablos sent a glare to him and purposely messed up the white hair as he went by. "Hey!"

The others laughed.

-

Harry woke up too early the next morning. He tip-toed out of the room to not wake Draco up and entered Diablos' bedroom. The man was asleep on his side with his arms hugging a pillow snugly to his chest. Harry climbed onto the bed while wondering what he was doing. He was eleven years; going to turn twelve and he went to his uncle's bed whenever he could not sleep! Diablos would probably soon lock the door to make Harry used to sleep on his own. But for now, he had his uncle close.

The boy lay down carefully and Diablos opened his eyes sleepily.

"Harry?" the man mumbled, stretching out his arms.

"It's still early," the boy replied. "Go back to sleep."

Diablos squinted to look at the time and with a sigh fell back to the bed. Harry snuggled close instead of the pillow and smiled when Diablos wrapped his sleep-warm arms around his nephew instead of retrieving the pillow.

-

Diablos woke up a while later and yawned. He did not open his eyes but uncurled slowly and stretched. His nephew was no longer in his arms and he blinked his eyes open. The bathroom door was slightly ajar and he heard a low noise from within. He sat up and went into the bathroom. Harry was sitting by the bathtub with his arms around his knees and his face hidden. His shoulders were shaking slightly so Diablos eased himself down onto the floor and laid an arm around his nephew.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"N-nothing," Harry replied and wiped his eyes quickly. "I'm fine."

"You don't have to hide your feelings," Diablos said.

"Well, you do," Harry hiccupped and hid his face from his uncle.

Diablos' hand faltered a bit but then he tilted Harry's face up and said:

"Had it something to do with what happened in the beginning of the summer?"

Harry hesitated for a few moments and then nodded. Diablos closed his eyes to calm down and took a deep breath.

"You know what Occlumency means," the man said after a little while.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"I would like… I would like you to know it a bit before going back to Hogwarts."

"Why?"

"Because Dumbledore is a sneaky Legilimens and he might want to take that situation to his advantage."

Harry looked at his uncle and said:

"Has he done it to you?"

"Tried Legilimens? Yes."

The boy looked down for a minute and then looked back, saying:

"When do we start?"

-

"Are you guys awake already??"

Diablos and Harry looked up at Salerna and the older raven-haired one raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," he drawled out. "So what?"

"You two are crazy," the white-haired man muttered and rubbed his hair as he entered the room.

"How come we are crazy?" Harry asked as he bit into the toast.

"It's nine in the morning," Salerna complained and he fell down onto the bed. "What are you doing?"

"Dia is explaining Occlumency for me," Harry said.

"Occlumency?" Salerna said and looked at Diablos. "Isn't he a bit too young?"

"Thanks to Dumbledore, he has to learn it."

"Oh…"

Harry looked at the two men who sat silent for a while. Then the red-eyed man shook himself out of it and said:

"Shall we continue then, Harry?"

-

Harry happily dragged Diablos along the street while the others tried to keep up with them. They were now in magical New York, going down one of the biggest streets. Hermione had a small map with her on which she had ringed in the shops she wanted to visit. She and Padma were nearly as fast as the two Potters, while Lucius, Salerna and Draco walked a bit further behind.

Once Harry was satisfied, his uncle was allowed to walk with his own pace. He rubbed his wrist gingerly as he matched in his steps with Salerna and Lucius while Draco ran ahead to walk with the other children.

"Did he bruise your wrist or what?" the white-haired man asked.

"Nearly," Diablos said. "Remind me to never doubt his strength again."

"Got it."

"Anywhere you wish to go, Lucius?" the red-eyed man asked.

"Not particularly," the blonde man replied and looked around. "There are some potion ingredients that I promised Severus I would look out for, but we can take that later. After all, we will be here for a while."

Diablos did not wish for anything particularly either, so he was happy to let the children take them wherever they wanted to. Harry wanted, as usual, to the book-store and Hermione was quick to agree. Draco and Padma rolled their eyes to the two but had no objection to it. Padma even had a book or two on her list that she wanted, and Draco could always find something interesting. So their first stop was the book-store.

Diablos walked aimlessly around and pulled out a book once in a while. When Salerna found him, the red-eyed man had a few books he was going to buy. Salerna took a look at them and said:

"Divination? Diablos, you are not interested in divination."

"I know."

"Then why are you buying a book about it?"

"Secret."

"Come on, you can tell me!" the white-haired man whined.

"It's a gift to someone," Diablos said. "You don't know him."

"Who he?"

"You don't know him," the man repeated, "and that's final."

"You are a very evil man," Salerna accused.

"I'm not the devil for nothing," Diablos said and got up. He put another book on the pile and continued, "Are you guys already done?"

"Nope! Harry is stuck in the potions section and Draco is with him. Hermione and Padma are exploring the history section quiet happily. Diablos, you aren't interested in Animagi either so why do you have it in your pile?"

"Sirius wanted it," Diablos said with a shrug. "He maybe is one, but he never really read much about Animagi in school."

"Oh," the white-haired man said. "What else have you found?"

"One about Black Magic that I might need for class," Diablos said as he simply sat down on the floor to look through the books. "One is history; I had it when I was young, but now it was gone. A few about Dark Magic and one about blood warding and blood spells."

"What about the one with normal warding?"

"Bill," the red-eyed man said. "He didn't have time to take a break but he needed the book."

Salerna saw a few books Diablos had not mentioned but he knew the man would not explain why he bought them so the white-haired man plopped down next to his friend and started looking at the books as well.

-

They ate lunch at an outdoor-serving and then walked around a bit in the shops nearby. Draco wanted to drop in and look at brooms and while Harry did not care much for Quidditch he followed his friend inside. Diablos nearly gagged as he thought he had to walk into a place full of Quidditch-things, and nearly fled to the Apothecary just across the street. Salerna shook his head and offered to follow Diablos while Lucius took the girls to the boys.

Salerna found Diablos looking up potion ingredients and put his head on the man's shoulder to read the list. As he came further down, the violet eyes widened slightly.

"Diablos," he hissed quietly.

"What?" the red-eyed man asked.

"Those ingredients are pretty dangerous."

"So? I need them."

"Need them for what?!"

"Don't be so loud," Diablos said. "I'm working on something and I need those to make the antidote."

That calmed Salerna down the slightest bit and he let his colleague roam the place to find what he needed.

-

The days were spent on sight-seeing, relaxing and a lot of fun. On their last day the children decided they would go and swim, and promptly dragged the three men with them. It was with great reluctance Diablos even took his outer robe up and he outright refused to change from his pants and shirt to a T-shirt and shorts. He sat down under a tree and enlarged a book he had in his pocket. Harry stuck out his tongue at his uncle, who only replied with doing the same thing, and then the boy ran off with his friends. Lucius and Salerna had changed due to the hot weather and were seated in the shadow with Diablos.

"Aren't you dying?" Salerna asked as he tried to cool himself down.

"Salerna, this is a beach for wizards and witches," Diablos said irritably.

"Yes, and?" the man asked.

Diablos' eyebrow twitched. The moment after the white-haired man got the book in his head and the red-eyed man snapped:

"Cooling Charm, you idiot!"

"Oh," Salerna said and he and Lucius looked at each other. "We didn't think of that, did we now?"

Lucius shook his head as he drew forth his wand and made the spell.

"Aah, much better," the blonde man said. Diablos huffed and reclaimed his book.

-

"Dia, come on! Just for a little bit! It's the last day!"

The raven-haired man looked at his pleading nephew, and sighed. He closed his book and heaved himself up. He calmly removed his shoes and socks, and then pulled his shirt off to reveal his lean and pale chest. With a wave of his hand his pants became long shorts and Harry jumped up and down in happiness. Salerna stared at Diablos and said:

"You have never undressed that much on a beach."

Diablos glared at Salerna and moved to follow his nephew. Lucius heaved himself up and decided to follow. He got off his T-shirt as well and jogged lightly to catch up with them. Salerna shook his head with an amused smile and settled back against the tree.

Draco, Hermione and Padma were playing in the water and looked up as they closed in. The three children made big eyes as they saw Harry's uncle. His skin was pale they could see scars here and there on the chest. Diablos had crossed his arms, a bit too self-conscious and walked carefully out in the water.

"The water is really warm, Dia, so there's no problem!" Harry said.

"Quiet," Diablos said. He looked mildly embarrassed when he caught a group of women staring at his body. "Why do they always stare?"

Harry laughed at his uncle and said:

"It's not that bad, Dia. I guess they just like what they see."

The red-eyed man promptly ignored their looks as he walked into the water. Lucius followed and relaxed in the warm water. Harry swam over to his friends and as he came forth Padma leaned forward and said:

"Where did your uncle get all those scars?"

Harry looked at Diablos and saw the thin nets of scars.

"Duelling," he replied. "He's got a huge one across his back."

Diablos was a rather good swimmer, so he decided to work off some of his energy. Soon he and Lucius were in a little contest of who could swim the farthest.

"Can you see them?" Hermione asked Padma after a while.

"Nope; they are both gone," the girl informed.

"They are fast," Harry said and Draco nodded.

-

"Give up?"

"I give up," Lucius panted and looked back. "Oh Merlin, how far out are we?"

"I don't know," Diablos said. "Not so long; if we swim like normal we will reach the shore in ten-fifteen minutes."

"That is far," Lucius dead-panned.

The red-eyed man shrugged a bit, despite being in water, and began swimming back. Lucius followed.

-

The two adults were with the children for a little while before they all decided to go up. Diablos swam alongside Harry until he could reach the bottom. Then he walked up and as he came to a waist-deep level he dragged his hair to the side so he could wring most of the water out. Hermione, Draco, Padma and even Lucius stared at the angry-looking scar ripping across his back. It looked to have hurt a lot.

"Diablos?" Lucius asked. The man turned and looked at the blonde man.

"Yes?"

"Where did you get the scar on your back?"

Diablos was quiet for a little while, and then said:

"From the duel where I learned to never have mercy towards my enemy."

With that said, he continued to walk.

-

Salerna gave them towels and said:

"You want to stay here a little while longer or go back to the hotel?"

"Stay for a bit," the children immediately replied, all looking at the white-haired man.

"As you wish," Salerna said with a laugh.

Diablos sat down one the blanket Salerna had conjured and spelled his hair dry. He let the towel rest around his shoulders as he watched the children play around in the sand.

"It wasn't so bad vacation after all," Salerna said as he wrapped an arm around his friend. "Right?"

"True," Diablos agreed.

-

Diablos tried to read but the children made a lot of noise as they tried to find everything they had brought with them or bought during their stay.

"Dia!"

Giving up the idea of a calm night, Diablos rose up from the chair with a sigh and came out in the living room.

"Yes?" he asked his nephew.

"Help me!"

"With packing?"

"Yeah!" the boy said. "I can't make everything fit!"

Diablos made a wave and everything magically shrunk before packing itself into Harry's trunk. The boy gave a sigh of relief and said:

"Thanks Dia."

"It's already eleven at night. Shouldn't you guys have finished packing long ago?" Diablos asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We kinda forgot," Harry mumbled.

Hermione was rather stressed as well as she couldn't really shrink her things because she was not allowed to do magic outside of school. Therefore she tried to pack everything very neatly so it took as little space as possible. Unfortunately, it did not go as well as she wanted it to go.

"My mum is much better at this!" she cried out.

Diablos looked at her and said:

"If you would like it, I can shrink them for a number of hours before they enlarge themselves."

"But… would that work?"

"It's my magic that will do it, so it should be no problems," Diablos said. "Many wizards and witches do that to help Muggle parents when they buy their things to their magical children. It's much easier."

"Can you really do that for me?" she asked. "That would be so kind!"

Diablos looked at her, a bit amused, before uttering a spell. Immediately all of her things shrank a bit, and could fit into the trunk without any problem.

"Anything else?" he asked her. She shook her head, overjoyed.

Harry shut his own trunk as it had finished packing and now Hermione could shut hers. Padma had gotten a bit help of Salerna to pack and Lucius helped his son.

"Now it's time for bed!" Salerna said. The children groaned but he continued, "No; we are getting up early tomorrow so to bed, all of you!"

The four children reluctantly did go to bed. Diablos looked at the time and said:

"I think I will go to bed as well."

"Alright," Salerna said. "I'm staying up a bit. What about you Lucius?"

"I will stay up for a bit as well," the blonde man said. "Have a good night, Diablos."

The man waved and then walked to his bedroom.

-

Around midnight, when the two men readied for bed, they saw one of the doors open. Harry quietly shut it and walked to Diablos' bedroom. He opened it as silently and closed it. Lucius looked at Salerna who only said:

"It happens a lot. Probably a nightmare."

-

Diablos woke up when the bed dipped. He opened his eyes to see Harry crawl under the sheets and then a warm weight settled against his ribs as he lay on his side.

"Harry?" the man mumbled.

"Had a bad dream," Harry said. "I'm fine."

Diablos looked down at his nephew, who clearly was not fine. His eyes were wide open and he had laid his head so he could hear Diablos' heartbeat.

"What did you dream about?" the red-eyed man asked gently, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

"You were killed," Harry whispered. "And suddenly I was alone. I couldn't find anyone; not Sirius, not Remus, not Salerna or Cissi or Lucius or Severus. Cissi was gone as well. And Dumbledore was there…"

Diablos hoisted his nephew closer and said:

"But you saw Salerna and Lucius outside, right?"

Harry nodded.

"And I'm here," Diablos whispered. The boy nodded once more. "That means it was not real."

"I know but it still scared me!" the emerald-eyed boy said.

Diablos closed his eyes for a moment before starting to hum softly. Harry recognized this tactic to make him fall asleep again but did not complain. He wanted to sleep, so he closed his eyes and listened to the humming. But this time was different. Diablos began singing lowly in a language Harry did not understand. But the melody was beautiful and Harry felt comforted by the unknown words.

Once Harry was asleep, Diablos stopped singing. He looked at his nephew and smiled a bit.

"Maybe it was a good thing I learned old English," he mused.

Tbc…

* * *

AAAAAAAAA-runs around and hitting herself in the head-AAAAAAA-stops for a moment and apologizes to her readers-AAAAAH!!!

… Ouch; not good to scream when you have a sore throat. But I just had to, because I realized it took me more than a month to finish this chapter. I just went nuts. ONE FREAKING MONTH?!! I feel so ashamed, but lack of inspiration is not something you can get a cure from.

Anyway… chapter fifteen done. Chapter sixteen: Harry's birthday, shopping for second year of studying and returning to Hogwarts for the second year! Dumbledore gets a 'mild' warning by Diablos about Harry; the old man will never be the same again… or something like that.

Well, that's all I have to say. I will see you hopefully quicker than a month. I still feel ashamed over my lack of inspiration and right now I don't feel like I'm on the top of the world since my great grandfather passed away a week ago. He was old, and it was his time but still it felt wrong when he died.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	17. Chapter 16

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Thank you for all of your reviews, and I have changed a thing in chapter fifteen since a reviewer pointed out a thing to me. Thank you for that, and be happy now I've changed it so it doesn't sound completely strange.

Enjoy chapter sixteen.

-

**Chapter Sixteen**

"Are we all ready to go?"

The four children nodded to Salerna and the man clapped his hands in delight. It had been a rather stressful morning with the children running here and there to make sure they had not forgotten anything. Diablos had looked outside once from his room, seen the chaos, and promptly shut and locked the door. He would only come out once the noise had died out.

They Apparated from the hotel to the New York Ministry to hopefully get back to England and Italy before the real morning-rush.

-

Dora opened the door before they even could get inside and smiled at them. Diablos walked in first, followed by Harry and Salerna. Then came the two girls and lastly the two Malfoys.

"Have masters eaten breakfast?" the house-elf asked.

"We have not," Diablos replied. He turned to Lucius, Draco, Padma and Hermione and asked, "Do you have time to stay for breakfast?"

"Mum and dad isn't expected me back until a few hours so for me it's fine," Hermione replied.

"Same with my mum and dad," Padma piped up.

"We have nothing against it," Lucius said. "In fact, I'm rather hungry."

"Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes then!" Dora declared and dashed away to the kitchen.

-

After breakfast Lucius, Draco, Padma and Hermione, who by now was much better with Flooing, went back to England. The children said goodbye to each other, promising to write in the new parchments that Diablos had given them; if you wrote the name of the person you wished to write to the person's parchment would glow gently and after that you were free to write whatever you wanted. Hermione had managed getting Diablos to buy six instead of four, so that one went to Neville and the other to the Weasley twins.

And then Diablos, Harry and Salerna were alone in the living room. The man looked at his nephew and said:

"Do you want to go and unpack?"

"Maybe I should do that," Harry said and got up. "What about you guys?"

"We're going to go over a duelling-scheme we have," Diablos said. "Won't take long."

"And I'm telling you this already know; you better not cheat!" Salerna said.

"I've never cheated," the red-eyed man said.

"What?! Last year; what did you call that?!"

"Stupidity on your side."

Harry left with a shake of his head as Salerna glared at Diablos who simply ignored him.

-

Diablos peered into his nephew's room and Harry turned to look at him.

"Come and look at this!" the boy said excitedly. He was holding something in his hands. Diablos cocked his head and entered. Harry gave it to him and the red-eyed man took a moment to study it.

It was a photo of the seven of them, the children waving at the camera while the adults were more boring and settled on smiling. Or like in Diablos' case, something akin to a half-smile.

"You bought one?" Diablos said and looked at the boy. The thought had never crossed the man's mind.

"Nope. Lucius bought one copy for us each," Harry said. "And an extra one for Cissy."

Diablos looked at his nephew who turned back to finish unpacking. The boy then passed his uncle to throw the dirty clothes in the hamper. The man conjured a frame out of thin air and put the picture in it. When Harry turned around, the man had placed it on the night-stand and now moved back to look at it a bit more, his right hand grasping his chin slightly. Harry came forward and looked at the now framed photo. He then looked at his uncle.

Diablos was mildly surprised when two arms went around him and squeezed.

"Thanks, dad."

The 'dad' slipped out from Harry's mouth easily, and Diablos did not even pay much attention to the new title Harry had been allowed to call him. Instead he wound one arm around the boy's shoulder and added a little pressure in a sort of one-armed hug.

-

**31****st of July, 1992  
****Potter Manor, Florence, Italy**

Harry woke up to the soft stroking of his hair. He opened his eyes sleepily and looked at his uncle.

"Good morning," Diablos said. "It's only seven so don't even think of getting up."

"Why are you up then?" Harry mumbled.

"I have a meeting with someone," Diablos said and tucked the covers more snugly around the boy. "Just in case I'm still not back when you wake up."

"Will you be gone for a long time?"

"No. Two hours at the most, so I'll be back before you know it."

Harry nodded, not even wondering who the person was Diablos was going to meet. He felt his uncle's slim hand against his cheek, then it moved away.

-

When he woke up the next time, the clock read eight thirty. He got up and made himself ready. As he walked down the stairs, he heard someone Flooing inside. The next moment, Salerna and Cissi appeared.

"Well, good morning young man!" Cissi said and rushed forward to give the boy a hug, her brown hair bouncing around her face.

"Morning you two," Harry said and hugged the woman back. "Did you have a good time in Spain?"

"Oh, I had the loveliest time," Cissi said and released him. "Lots of wine, lots of cheese, and a lot of unhealthy things!"

"Sounds great," Harry replied, amused. "Have you eaten breakfast?"

"No, we thought we would save it and eat here," she said and Salerna came forward. "Where is that uncle of yours?"

"He was going to meet someone," Harry replied as Salerna gave him a hug. "He went a while ago, around seven."

"Did he say who?" the white-haired man asked.

"No, but I'm guessing it's a morning-person."

"I agree," Salerna said and shuddered. "Seven in the morning; that's torture!"

-

Diablos opened the door and stepped inside. He closed it and then stood in the hall for a while, his eyes closed. The snow had made his black cloak white as the sun had not melted all away.

"Dia?!"

He looked up, startled, at Harry's shocked face.

"Where did you go? Antarctica?" the boy asked suspiciously.

"North pole actually," Diablos said as he took off the cloak. Harry noticed his uncle's fingers were rather blue. "It was cold."

"I can see that," Harry said. "Dia, you need to warm up your fingers now."

"And my feet I believe," Diablos said as he pulled the boots off.

"Why did you meet this guy you talked about at the North pole?" Harry asked as Diablos walked to him while rubbing his hands.

"Because the one I met up with is apparently very stupid," the red-eyed man muttered, almost to himself. "North pole of all places! Last year he went to Caribbean! I'm convinced next year he wants to meet in the middle of the sea just to piss me off. He can never decide what he likes."

Harry giggled a bit at that, even though he was curious of whom his uncle had met. They entered the dining room where Cissi and Salerna were. They looked at the man and Salerna raised an eyebrow.

"Diablos, you look like you are cold," the man commented.

"Maybe because I am," Diablos replied with a glare before curling up on his chair.

Harry had never seen his uncle appear so childlike so he kept watching the man. Diablos tucked the robe around his legs as he pulled his knees to his chest. He then wound his arms around the knees and hid his hands in the folds of his heavy robe. He rested his head on his knees and was delighted when Dora put down a steaming, and rather large, cup of tea in front of him. It was with great reluctance he drew his hands out and grasped the cup. He sipped it and let Cissi and Salerna handle the talking with Harry.

The two gave Harry a gift each but he decided to wait until everyone had arrived before opening any gifts. He looked at his uncle who had sunk back against the chair, his fingers gaining back the colour and his body slowly uncurling.

"Feeling better now?" Salerna asked.

"Much," Diablos said and drained the teacup. "My gift for you is upstairs, Harry, so we can wait with it as well."

"Okay."

The red-eyed man eventually got up from the chair and decided to change clothing before anyone else came to visit. Cissi stayed with Harry while Salerna followed his friend.

"Who did you go to?" the white-haired man asked as he leaned to the door-frame, arms crossed, and his eyes on Diablos. The red-eyed man looked back at him before removing his outer robe.

"No one special. You don't know him."

"How do you know I don't know him?"

"Trust me," the man said and looked over his shoulder at his colleague. "You don't want to know him."

Salerna looked at Diablos who now turned back and put on a black shirt.

"Why don't I want to know him?" the man asked as he walked into the room.

Diablos did not answer at first. Then he looked at Salerna and said:

"He finds it very difficult not trying to eat me, so he'll devour you in a moment since he doesn't know you."

He went to put the other clothes into the hamper and therefore missed Salerna's shocked face.

-

Harry hugged Padma, Hermione and Draco welcome. He then greeted on Hermione's parents and then on Draco's. Lucius smiled at him while Narcissa gave him a hug. The Grangers greeted him too and gave their gifts to him before Joanne and Narcissa went to Cissi while Lucius and Greg talked to each other. The children ran off to the living room and Diablos went upstairs again to get the gift for his nephew that he apparently had forgot during the short conversation with Salerna. He closed his eyes for a moment when he reached his room; he did not really have to twist the truth around _that_ much for his friend, but had now established that Salerna would not ask of his 'friend' again. And at least part of what Diablos had said was true.

Harry and the three children had engaged in a hide-and-seek game, knowing it was really childish but not minding it one bit, and had spread out around the manor. Harry wondered where to hide when he saw a door slightly ajar. He was a bit reluctant to go in there, as he had never been there before, but heard Padma yelling that she was finished and therefore slipped in before closing the door. He turned around and had a look at the room.

It was dark, and not used in a very long time. It was a four-poster bed in the left corner covered in a layer of dust. Heavy curtains had been drawn tightly around the windows, and Harry pulled them apart just a little to get some more light. Dust was shook loose in the process, and he had to refrain from sneezing. A desk stood by the four-poster bed, an aged parchment lying upon it along with a quill and dried ink-bottle. The chair was pushed away, as if someone had been sitting there and writing before standing up and walking out, never to return. Harry quickly hid in the wardrobe next to the door once he heard steps in the hall.

He sat down on a box and frowned. He felt around and wondered what the deal with all the boxes was. He brought out his wand and whispered a Lumos. It was just plain, brown boxes and Harry carefully opened one, his curiosity winning over his fear of being discovered by his uncle later.

He pulled out a robe but it seemed to hold little significance. Underneath it was… photo-albums. Harry picked one out and opened it in his lap, no longer thinking of the game he had been so soaked up just minutes ago.

The first picture was of his grandparents and… Diablos. Or he thought it was; the boy on the picture was no older than three or four years old. While the two adults were smiling, Diablos did not smile. Not even with his eyes. Harry turned the pages, and saw all pictures were from when Diablos was young, from the time when his own father had not even been born.

When he heard steps again, he quickly put the album and robe back and shut the box. He climbed out from the wardrobe, dusted himself off and opened the door. Draco was the first who saw him.

"Harry! Didn't you hear us?" he asked as they all ran forward. "We nearly called on dad and Diablos."

"Sorry; I guess I didn't hear you guys," Harry said. "Does it mean I won?"

The three children were distracted by him soon enough but the boy could not stop thinking about the box, and the pictures. Why had his uncle hidden them so carefully? He could not just go and ask about them…

Or could he?

-

"Dia?"

Diablos looked up at Harry, blinking.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" the man asked.

"I need to ask you something, and I don't want you to get mad," Harry said as he padded into his uncle's study. The man put away the book he was reading and the boy continued, "I found something when we played earlier today. A room that wasn't used."

Diablos had a fair guess of where this was leading, and swallowed.

"I hid in the wardrobe and saw a lot of boxes," the raven-haired boy said. "I opened one of them."

"And?" Diablos asked.

"Why did you hide the albums there?"

The man looked at his nephew and thought for a while. Then he said:

"I put them there… right after mother and father had died. I could not look at them. Not long after that James died and you were with me. I never thought of packing them up."

Harry stepped closer and said:

"Would it be okay… if I could help you unpack them? You're free tomorrow so we can do it."

"Harry, I don't know if I can…"

"You can, dad," the boy said, almost pleadingly. "I know you can. I want to see them as well."

Diablos looked down for a bit and then said:

"If you want to, we will. But don't ask me to look at them."

"Okay," Harry said. "I won't."

He hugged his uncle goodnight and then disappeared back to his own room. The man looked to where his nephew had been for a long time with blank eyes, then he put his head in his hands and sighed. He had a long day ahead of him.

-

Diablos spelled away the dust and opened the curtains to the room. He looked around the empty room and frowned.

"Maybe I should put it to use," he muttered as Harry went straight to the wardrobe. When he turned around, the boy was lifting the boxes out. Diablos swallowed; he had not allowed himself to think much of his adoptive parents' death and now it was all coming back to him. Nonetheless, he went to his nephew and sat down as well. He opened one of the boxes and picked up an album. Unconsciously, his hand strokes the cover before opening it. When he saw the picture, however, he wanted to throw the album away from him. The very first picture ever taken on him with his hair hanging in strips in his face and his eyes dead. Mary had put in an album to remind herself sometimes that her eldest son came from a place she could not begin to understand. A place where the weak died and the strong lived. A place where Diablos had nearly died because he was nobody's child.

"Dia?"

Diablos looked up at his nephew, who was eyeing him worriedly. The man closed the album, and said:

"It's nothing."

"Who was the boy on the picture?" Harry asked. "The boy that you looked on?"

"It was… me. A long time ago," the man said slowly. "Mother wanted a reminder of where I came from and of what could, or rather would, have happened to me if she and father had not picked me up."

"What would have happened?"

"I would be dead."

Diablos put the album away and rose up.

"I can't look at them," he said to his nephew. "Tell Dora if you need any help."

"Dia," Harry said but his uncle had already walked away.

-

The boy opened the door to his uncle's bedroom that night and peered inside. Diablos was sitting on the bed, legs crossed and a book in his lap. His hair hid the face and Harry swallowed.

"I know you are there," the man said and looked up. The boy shrank back but Diablos continued, "I'm not angry at you, Harry. Come in."

The emerald-eyed boy did so and went over to the red-eyed man's bed. He climbed up and before Diablos could say anything, Harry had wrapped his arms around the man tightly and said:

"I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Diablos said and banished the book to the bookshelf. "I was… unprepared for what I would feel, that's all."

"I shouldn't have forced you," the boy said, pressing his head down onto his uncle's shoulder.

Diablos did not answer on that. Instead he lay back on the bed, his nephew lying snuggled into his side and then he spoke:

"Did you look through them?"

"Some of them, yes," Harry said. "I then put them in a bookshelf in the room and told Dora and Fiora to clean the room up. I don't know what we should do with it yet."

"Neither do I," the man replied. "We can sleep and think of it tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry said with a yawn without bothering to get up.

Diablos drew the covers over them both and then shut the light off.

-

When Harry woke up, he was alone in the room. He sat up and then heard Diablos' voice in the hallway. He rose up and opened the door. He was surprised to see the man just enter the room he had left so abruptly just the day before. He walked there and peered through the door-opening.

The room was completely different. All the old curtains had been removed and been replaced by light, pale blue ones that touched the ground. They moved slightly with the wind as either Diablos or one of the house-elves had opened the windows to let the fresh air in. The light now shone in much more into the room and made it look more comfortable. The bed, desk and wardrobe was gone and replaced by more bookshelves, a couch, two armchairs and a table. Some of the bookshelves held books, others various photos but one of them there was only photo-albums. Diablos turned around and looked at Harry. The man looked much more comfortable about seeing the albums than before.

"What's gotten into you?" the boy asked as he entered, still dressed in his sleeping-pants and shirt.

"I'm not sure," the man said, scratching his head. "I woke up and felt I had to do this before I went crazy. Some of the things belonged to James and Lily, so clearly it must be something wrong with me."

"From mum and dad?" Harry asked.

"It's their books," Diablos said and pointed. "Some of the photos are from their old house, some are mine, and some belonged to your grandparents."

Harry took a good look around the room and then turned back to Diablos.

"You didn't just do this for me, right?" he asked.

"It might also have been to deal with my own issues as well," the man confessed. "It feels easier now."

"You did a good job."

"Fiora did all the cleaning, and picked the curtains," the man said. "Meanwhile, Dora has made a fabulous breakfast for us, so hurry and change."

"Got it!"

-

Salerna peeked into the room and said:

"I have to admit I would also like to know what's gotten into you."

"Shut it," Diablos growled. "Aren't you supposed to be with Cissi right now?"

"She's at a spa hotel," the man said. "Won it last week along with a friend of hers. As I do not enjoy spa, I skipped it."

"And why are you here?"

"Because where else should I be?" the man asked, fluttering his eyelashes to the younger man.

"You're weird," Diablos concluded and walked into the room. "Seriously, what do you think?"

"What do you and your nephew think?" the white-haired man asked as he stepped inside.

"Harry likes it," the red-eyed man said and looked around. "He spent the most part of the day here yesterday. Even convinced me to read aloud."

"How sweet of you to do."

"Shut up."

The raven-haired man sat down and looked around.

"You know what this room reminds me off?" the man said as Salerna sat down.

"No," the white-haired man said.

"My parents… old living room," Diablos said and tilted his head. "The feeling of home and safety was always present in that house. They never sought to make it formal and beautiful for their guests but instead they sought to make it… familiar. A place you wanted to be in."

The older man looked at the younger one in surprise; Diablos had never said that much about his old home.

"It feels nice to be in here," Salerna said. "Do you like it?"

"Yes… I actually do."

The white-haired man reached over and gently squeezed the man's hand.

"That's good," Salerna said with a smile.

-

Diablos glared darkly at the woman who had pushed him but Harry just laughed and said:

"Come on; let's get away from the worst crowds. What's up with people today though?"

"It's Gilderoy Lockhart in the front," Lucius muttered.

"Gilderoy who?" Diablos asked the blonde.

"A man known for his many… I can't call them adventures but I don't know what else to call them."

"Let's just get the books and be over with it," Draco sighed.

"It's Harry Potter!"

The shout made them turn, and in the next moment a man with golden blonde hair and a wide smile, perfect white teeth showing, had dragged Harry up to the front. A photographer was currently snapping the camera quicker as he saw who it was.

"Harry Potter, what a pleasure to meet you!" Gilderoy Lockhart said and clasped Harry's hand hard. He then turned to the camera for an extra good shot and continued, "As you all know, I am to be the next DADA-teacher at Hogwarts and it will be a pleasure to teach Harry Potter all he needs to know. As an honour, you will get all of my books signed and free!"

The man dumped a bag to the boy, who by now had freaked out and wanted the hell out. The next moment they heard a crash and the photographer shouting out:

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Diablos ignored the angry man whose camera he had just destroyed and stepped up to the future teacher, his eyes flashing with something that made Harry gulp. His uncle was angry, _very _angry.

"Kindly remove your filthy hand from my nephew, or I will do the pleasure of cutting it off," the red-eyed man ground out.

Lockhart released the boy and said:

"Who do you think you are?"

"Me? Are you deaf as well?? I'm his _family_, and who said he wanted to meet up with you?"

"Of course he wanted to---!"

"Did you want to meet with this man?" Diablos asked his nephew, cutting off whatever Lockhart was about to say.

"No," Harry said and glared at the blonde man. "I did not want to meet him."

Diablos stepped closer to the man and whispered:

"Touch him again, and I'll kill you."

Lockhart stared at the man as Diablos fished up some money.

"As much as I hate to waste money on useless things like your books, they are required for Harry's education. And I do not take gifts from a liar like you."

He threw the money on the terrified Lockhart, took Harry's hand and dragged the child away. Harry did not protest.

"Are we finished?" he asked Lucius.

"Yes; let's go and meet up with Hermione's parents at the Leaky Cauldron," the Malfoy said quickly, sensing the man's anger and started to usher his son and Hermione out.

"Looking for fame?" a sneering voice was heard and Harry looked straight at Ron Weasley.

"I dare you to say it again!" Draco snarled and nearly whipped his wand up.

"Ron, it's too crowded, let's go outsi--oh… Mr Malfoy, Mr Potter."

Arthur looked coldly at them and Lucius raised an eyebrow.

"Arthur," he said, the name coming out like a curse. "Buying things for your youngest?"

Harry saw Ginny behind her father, her eyes staring at the boy. She had a cauldron in her arms and in it some old and tattered books.

Lucius picked one up and said:

"Can't even afford new things for her? Pathetic."

The moment after Arthur was over the blonde man and the shop owner began to shout at them. Lucius was thrown into a bookshelf and books began falling. Diablos moved quickly and separated them. When Arthur tried to move he released a wave of his magic and the redhaired man stilled, eyes wide at the raven-haired man. He ignored the look Arthur gave him and instead looked between them before saying:

"This is no place for childish behaviour. Lucius, I know you don't like each other but keep this from your child."

The blonde calmed down eventually and threw the book he somehow had succeeded keeping in his hands during the short fight back into Ginny's cauldron. He looked one last time at Arthur and then took Draco and Hermione with him outside. Diablos looked at the girl who was still staring at Harry before taking his nephew out, not once looking at the enraged adult Weasley or his youngest son.

-

"Calmed down now?"

Lucius looked up at Diablos and nodded. They were seated by a table, alone. Hermione's parents had brought the three children to a nearby Muggle clothing shop as even Draco might need some and Harry needed an update. So they had left the two, the blonde much in need for a relaxed moment.

"I don't know what came over me to start talking back to him," the man said and looked at the raven-haired man who was sipping some tea.

"Forget it. He attacked you, which wasn't very mature of him. Verbal fighting is easy to ignore."

Lucius snarled suddenly and Diablos turned around. The Weasley family came into the Leaky Cauldron and sat down not too far away from them. The red-eyed man turned back and said:

"How about we go and do some Muggle shopping?"

"For the first time in my life I think I will say yes," the blonde man replied. The two got up and before they went outside changed their robes to Muggle clothes. Then they moved outside, Diablos in shades, black jeans, red shirt and black jacket while Lucius had short hair, black jeans with a white T-shirt and an elegant green shirt over that.

"Which store were they supposed to be in?" Lucius asked.

"There," Diablos said and pointed. "I feel their magical signals as well."

"Good."

They went inside and Harry stared at them. Draco turned around and made round eyes.

"Dia?" the raven-haired boy said.

"Dad?" the blonde one said.

Lucius and Diablos took a look at each other and then turned back to the two boys.

"What's so utterly fascinating about our clothing?" Diablos asked.

"That's so not like you guys, that's why!" Harry said. "Come on, you two gotta show Joanne and Greg this!"

He proceeded to drag his uncle to where the Grangers while Draco dragged his father there.

"Joanne, Greg! See? I told you Dia could dress normally!"

The two looked up from their daughter and blinked as Harry came in view with Diablos behind him. The man took the shades off, his red eyes darting around before slowly melting into a deep blue colour and then he rolled his eyes as he saw them staring at him.

"I have some sense of what Muggles accept and don't accept," the man said and crossed his arms. "As seems Lucius."

The two Muggles looked at the pure-blooded Malfoy dressed like any other Muggle and stared some more. He looked at them and snapped out:

"Yes, I know it looks strange to see me wear this, but can you please refrain from staring?"

The two soon stopped their staring (and quiet giggling) and they continued looking on clothes for their daughter as well as for themselves. Diablos followed his nephew to the boy's section and the two Malfoys followed. While the two children tested clothing, the Grangers caught sight of Diablos explaining the Muggle money for Lucius. They had another silent laugh as they knew how the blonde man usually looked; tall, confident and pretty intimidating. Now he just looked out of place and a bit lost.

They came out of the store a half-hour later with their purchases.

"And when am I supposed to wear these clothes, hmm?" Diablos asked his nephew who had convinced him to buy Muggles clothes.

"When we are going somewhere we Muggles are."

"And who says we are going to do that?"

"I say so," the boy declared. Diablos' eyebrow twitched.

-

Harry woke up and looked at the time. Half past six only yet he was wide awake. He was soon going back to Hogwarts, back to a place he would not know he would like any longer. With a sigh he got out of bed and went outside. He went down the hall to the Room of Memories, as he liked to call it, and entered. He sat down in the couch and looked around. He liked this room very much, just to sit and look at the pictures. He had put up a few of his own on Diablos both when he was very young and then from only a few years back.

He got up and went to one of the pictures that he liked the most of his uncle. The man could not be older than ten on the picture and he sat on the floor in front of the hearth, a small smile playing on his lips. It had been the only picture Harry had found on Diablos smiling when he was a child.

"Harry?"

He turned around to meet the sight of a newly woken Diablos. The man came into the room, a bath-robe wrapped around him.

"I didn't wake you up did I?" the boy asked worriedly.

"No," the man said. "Salerna did; he fire-called into my bedroom."

"Why would he fire-call you at this time? It's a bit too early for him."

"Assuming he even went to bed," the man muttered as he sat down. "He wondered if he had forgotten his schedule for the upcoming months here, since it was not at his home or at the school. Therefore, I have to look."

"Can't you just Accio them?"

"You wish," Diablos said. "He got Anti-Accio on them in case someone tried to get them from him."

"Great," the boy muttered and sat down next to his uncle. "Need any help?"

"Not yet," Diablos said and yawned. He rubbed his tousled hair before dragging his fingers through, trying to flat it down a bit.

"You haven't begun searching."

"I searched my room," the man objected before yawning again. "And I want to go to sleep."

"Come on," Harry said, dragging Diablos up. "Let's go and find Salerna's papers before you fall asleep again."

-

The two searched for a half-hour before Diablos discovered them on the second floor in the library. He grumpily slammed them onto one of the tables in the library and fell down onto the couch. Harry chuckled lightly at the sight as the man brought the robe tighter around himself and mumbled:

"Wake me up later."

Harry spread the blanket that had been thrown into a nearby armchair over his uncle and said:

"You got it."

-

They arrived at Malfoy Manor a one hour before the train was to leave London to Hogwarts. Diablos was not dressed in teaching-robes, which made Harry a bit confused; the man almost always had a class not long after Harry had gone onto the train.

"Dia, why aren't you in your teaching-robes?" the boy asked as they prepared to Apparate to the train station.

"Secret," the man replied. "You'll see soon enough."

The boy frowned but Diablos was already busy trying to calm a very displeased Hedwig down. The owl glared at the red-eyed man before finally settling down enough so Diablos could take Harry.

They arrived 45 minutes before the two children had to jump on.

"What are we going to do now?" Harry asked.

"We thought of having a bit of a snack at the café over there," Diablos said and pointed. The two children looked and saw indeed a café not too far away from them. They had just never noticed it before.

"It's a very good place if I remember correctly," Lucius said with a thoughtful look. "Don't look so surprised, Draco; even my father liked that place."

"Did you eat there sometimes?" Harry asked his uncle.

"Every year before I left for Hogwarts and before I went home," the raven-haired man said. "It was a very nice place."

They went inside and sat down by one of the tables. A waiter came forth and gave them menus. Diablos looked at it and said:

"They still have my favourite cake."

"I didn't know you liked cake," Harry said.

"My mother tried to forbid me eating cakes," the red-eyed man said. "Claimed it made me too hyper for her poor heart."

"You, too hyper?" Lucius said, one of his eyebrows rising. "I would like to see you too hyper."

"Well, not today at least," Diablos said. "I have a rather important meeting so I can't show up in that condition. I think I will have a sandwich. Have you decided Harry?"

"That one!" the boy said happily and pointed.

"Chocolate cake with frosting?" the raven-haired man said. "You are out to become too hyper."

"It's fun being hyper from time to time," the boy objected.

They ordered, Draco having apple pie and Lucius a sandwich as well, and then talked for a bit while they waited for their orders to arrive. Harry tried without success making his uncle spill where he was going if not to the Auror School. Lucius snickered but refused to tell the two children anything.

As the station began to fill with students and their families, the four decided to go. They went to one of the doors to the train and Draco said goodbye to Lucius. Harry turned to Diablos and said:

"Tell me where you are going now, Dia! Or else I won't forgive you!"

"You will see where I'm going in a few moments," the man said.

"What does he talk about?" Draco asked Lucius but the blonde man said nothing.

"Good luck on the meeting," the older Malfoy said, "and you are always welcome to spend the night at our manor."

"I will remember that," Diablos said.

"Dia, Lucius!" Harry said. "What's going on?"

"Jump on the train now, Harry," the red-eyed man. "You too, Draco."

"What about Hermione?" Harry said. "We haven't found her yet. And Padma, or Neville, or the twins; we don't know where they are!"

"Oh, they will find us," the raven-haired man said.

"Us?" the two children repeated, turning to stare at Diablos.

The man smiled and then jumped on the train.

"My meeting is at Hogwarts," the man said and they gaped. "So I will travel with you."

Harry recovered first.

"Dia you bastard!" he screamed. "Why didn't you tell me that from the start?!"

"What would be the fun in that?" the man asked. "Now come on; they will find us. I see you later, Lucius."

"Good luck once more."

"I think I will need it."

The two children finally got up on the train, following the man. He looked through the compartments until he found an empty one. He opened the door and let the children in first before walking in and shutting the door.

"Who are you going to meet?" Harry asked as he turned to look at his uncle for a moment.

"Dumbledore," Diablos said shortly. "What do you call it? A surprise-meeting; he doesn't know I'm coming, but professor McGonagall has been warned. I doubt she has told him though."

"Why not?" the blonde boy asked.

"She stopped believing in what he believed in long ago," Diablos said as he pulled out a book from Merlin knows where. "She was the one who protested against Dumbledore when he first placed Harry at the Dursleys."

"She did?" Harry said.

"She is stern, but friendly," Diablos said. "Oh my, is that a set of Weasley twins that I see?"

Harry saw them walk past their compartment and practically threw himself on the door.

"Guys!"

Fred and George turned around and saw Harry. They dragged their trunks back and went inside. They were a bit startled when they saw a grown man sit there, but he only nodded before opening his book.

"My anti-social uncle Diablos," Harry said. The twins saw a vein ticked on the man's forehead, and Diablos looked up.

"Anti-social?" he repeated dangerously low.

"You don't like people!" Harry said. "And don't deny it!"

"Although I have some problems with crowds, I am by no means anti-social," Diablos muttered. "I let you invite whoever you wish, and interact with them if I must."

"But only if you have to," the boy said. "He's not going to attack you, Fred, George! Just get your trunks in and let's see if we can catch Hermione, Padma and Neville."

-

It ended up being quite crowded in the compartment, so Harry decided so sit in his uncle's lap. Diablos only sighed and moved around so he could read his book without being disturbed. Hermione and Padma had found poor Neville all alone in the hallway outside the compartments and then they had stumbled upon the compartment where the rest was. So now all the seats were taken, Harry on Diablos' lap and George on the floor leaning onto Fred's legs. Their baggage had fortunately been shrunk by Diablos, and Neville was lucky enough to have remembered how to unshrinking things as well. The children all chatted while Diablos read his book, having tuned out their voices long ago.

When the witch with the trolley came, they ended up buying quite much that made Diablos' eyebrow rise a little bit.

"We are sharing!" Harry insisted as the man eyed the candy on the small table. It was… overflowing, you could say, with the stuff. If that many sweets went into the kids, he would not have a quiet moment for the rest of the ride.

"Really now?" the man asked.

"Really!" the children shouted.

His look told them he did not believe them one bit.

-

"Hey, your uncle has fallen asleep," Neville said after a while.

Harry looked up at his uncle's face and saw indeed that he had fallen asleep. His head was leaning onto the wall, his eyes closed and his breathing slow and deep. Harry leaned back again to the man's chest and said:

"He can bloody sleep anywhere if given the chance."

"Really?" Fred said. "I got the impression he's this scary uncle no one dares to say against."

"That too," the boy confessed.

-

"Dia?"

The man blinked his eyes open and looked at his nephew.

"We are almost at Hogwarts," the boy said. The man noticed they had all changed into the school robes and stretches his back. He put the book away and rubbed his face.

"What are you going to talk to Dumbledore about?" the boy asked as the train started to slow down.

"About what happened at the beginning of the summer," Diablos said and all of the children's faces darkened. They all knew of it, especially the twins.

"And?" Harry asked.

"Simply showing him why he should never attempt something like that again," the red-eyed man said as he peered out the window.

"Showing him?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.

Diablos' smile was rather frightening than comforting.

-

As the children was about to go into the Great Hall, Diablos was met by McGonagall.

"Would you like some dinner before the confrontation?" she asked him. "Professor Flitwick was nearly bouncing on his seat at the aspect of having a chat with his favourite pupil."

"I wouldn't mind," Diablos said. "I tend to be rather rude on an empty stomach."

"Can't have that now can we?" she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Diablos turned to Harry and said:

"I will say goodbye to you after dinner. Now go and have a great time with your friends."

"You're gonna sort this out with Dumbledore and all that stuff?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Yes, I promise brat," the man said, patting the boy's head. "Now go."

Diablos followed the stern witch up to the teacher's table and they both saw Dumbledore's eyes going wide as saucers. McGonagall conjured a chair and enlarged the table a bit so that Diablos could sit at the edge with professor Flitwick and Severus. The students stared a bit as well, but then the first-years came in and they had to concentrate on the hat.

Diablos himself found it rather refreshing of once more being able to sit in the Great Hall and listen to the old hat singing; he had rather liked the hat. Flitwick leaned to his side and said:

"Do you wish me and Severus to accompany you to Dumbledore?"

"What will happen is not for anyone's eyes to see," the red-eyed man replied. "But I think I would need Severus waiting downstairs with a Calming Draught for me afterwards."

The potions master rolled his eyes and said:

"I have already prepared it since I knew you were coming."

"How very nice of you."

-

Harry hugged Diablos tightly and said:

"You're not gonna kill him, right? I rather don't want to visit you in Azkaban."

"I'm not going to kill anyone," the man said, eyebrow twitching. "What do you take me for?"

"Slightly insane at bad times," Harry said and looked at him. "Make sure he behaves, Severus, professor Flitwick."

"Oh we will," Flitwick replied. "Now off you go, and remember our doors are always open."

"Thanks," the boy said and then ran to catch up with Draco. Diablos sighed and said:

"Well, let's get this over with."

-

Dumbledore looked nearly murderous when Diablos stepped into the room.

"Might I ask why you are here?" the old man asked, barely containing his fury.

"I never had a real discussion with you after what happened at the end of the year, did I now?" Diablos asked, stepping closer.

Dumbledore said nothing.

"Nothing smart to say?" the younger man said, crossing his arms. "No old wise man-talk to me to trick me?"

"Harry was not supposed to be with you."

"Oh, you're upset to have lost your most powerful pawn that you could trick into fighting Voldemort?" Diablos said. "Sorry for ruining it for you, but I am family."

"Petunia Dursley was closer family," the headmaster said and got up from the chair. "He should have been put there!"

"Except for the detail that James and Lily wanted _me_ to take care of Harry," the raven-haired man said. "You heard it yourself."

"You probably Imperioed them to get the boy!"

In the next moment, Dumbledore was pressed against the wall and Diablos' wand was pressed against his throat. The man's eyes started glowing red and Dumbledore sucked in a breath. The old man had to admit that while the Dark Lord could be very merciless and full of bloodlust this man just frightened him with those red eyes. The depths of them, something that was not human within them. Diablos was a monster according to the headmaster.

"Now you will listen to me," Diablos hissed into the man's ear, and Dumbledore could not help but shudder in fear. "I have never tried to make James and Lily give Harry to me in case if they died. I would never do it."

"What do you want?" Dumbledore said. "You don't want him to fight for our future--!"

"Because the future should not be laid upon a child's shoulders!" Diablos screamed into the old wizard's face. "No task like that should be laid upon anyone's shoulders! You do this to get power; you wanted Harry so you would get more famous. Just like Gilderoy Lockhart, just like the English minister; you all want his fame and turn it into your own. But I will not let it happen, ever."

He released Dumbledore but did not lower his wand. Fawkes watched them silently from his place, not moving an inch to help his master.

"If you ever go close to Harry again, I will know it," the raven-haired man said, his eyes shining brighter for each moment as he got angrier. "And you don't want to know what I will do then, and not even your precious Order of the Phoenix will be able to stop me."

The two of them stared at each other for a while before Dumbledore managed a weak:

"This is not over."

"How many times do I have to tell this, old man?" Diablos asked. "This is over, has always been and will always be."

"Harry will be mine," the old man growled.

The curse missed him because of his rather quick reflex. Dumbledore turned to look at the man and his eyes widened in shock.

Diablos' eyes had red like flames coming from them, his pale skin now white and his hair wilder than ever. The headmaster felt his legs weakening as his heart hammered in his chest. This power… this power was almost more terrifying than the Dark Lord's.

"Say that again in front of me," Diablos said, his voice a growl, "and I will rip your heart out. That I promise."

The tip of his wand was glowing white, and Dumbledore did not dare utter one more word. Diablos turned around abruptly and walked out. Only when the door had closed did the old headmaster let himself fall to the floor.

-

Flitwick and Severus stared as Diablos came out. The man closed his eyes and the flames vanished. Colour returned to his face and the hair slowly went back to the normal hairstyle. Severus gave the man the Calming Draught and Diablos downed it. He opened his eyes and looked at them.

"I didn't kill him at least," he managed weakly.

"But it was close," the black-haired man said as he took the empty bottle back. "What happened?"

"He still thinks he could take Harry from me," Diablos said and rested his head in his hand. "I better go back before I change my mind and do kill him."

"Back where?"

"I'm not up for going to Florence, so I will take Lucius' offer and stay there for the night," Diablos said.

"Good idea," Severus said. "We will see you soon I hope."

"Of course; I have nothing better to do than coming and harassing Dumbledore," the red-eyed man joked. "I will try coming if Harry wants me to. For now though, I will leave his safety to you."

"And safe we shall keep him," Flitwick said. "The Slytherins are rather protective of him, so we shouldn't have any problems."

Diablos nodded and walked towards the Entrance doors.

"Do you need any company?" Severus asked.

"No; I need to think," the man said. "Go now, and feel happy you got Gryffindors to harass again."

"Just along as he doesn't harass my Ravenclaws," Flitwick said and walked away.

Severus snickered and went to the dungeons. Diablos smiled a bit and then walked out.

-

Lucius looked up when the flames flared to life and Diablos came out. He straightened up and looked at them both. Narcissa blinked and then said:

"Evening, Diablos."

"Evening on you two," the man said.

"How did it go?" the blonde man asked as he put the book he had been reading on down. Diablos looked at him, and Lucius could see the anger in the red eyes even though the raven-haired man had drunk a whole bottle of Calming Draught. The red-eyed man smiled briefly and said:

"I'm not in Azkaban, now am I?"

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter 16 done! Faster than last time, yay! Seems like inspiration is slowly but surely coming back. Don't know for how long though.

Chapter 17: Gilderoy is an ass, Dumbledore is an ass, and Ron Weasley is an ass. What to do? Take revenge of course! Harry and his friends plans to do some very interesting things, but they can't do it without an adult. Who will they take help from?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	18. Chapter 17

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Thanks for all the reviews, and sorry for the late update!

-

**Chapter Seventeen**

Harry came to the Great Hall rested and very hungry. He sat down with Draco by the Slytherin Table and was joined not long after that by Hermione and Padma. The four children started to talk immediately, and the raven-haired boy deliberately ignored the looks he got from Dumbledore and Lockhart; no matter how subtle they were he still noticed them. He wanted to know what his uncle had said to the headmaster but had to wait until the day was over to ask.

-

Diablos woke up slowly and stretched his arms. He looked up at the ceiling and wondered for a few moments were he was. Then he remembered he was at Malfoy Manor and he had a day off from the school. He sat up in the bed and yawned before dragging his hands through his hair to make it a bit more flat. He rolled his shoulders as he got up to dress, and a house-elf popped into the room.

"Master and Mistress is wondering is master guest is joining for breakfast," it said.

"Tell them I will be there shortly."

"Yes, master guest."

He shook his head, amused at the title he had been given before going to the bathroom to freshen up.

-

Just his luck to have DADA the first day with that annoying Lockhart. And with the Gryffindors as well; Dumbledore had promised to try put Ravenclaw and Slytherin together but had not done it in DADA and potions where he was with Slytherin only. At least Hermione and Padma were together in those two classes. In every other subject though, he was with his two houses. Harry was irritated but could not do anything about it; just go through it. Dumbledore was still trying even after the fiasco with the Weasleys. That man was realy stubborn, and apparently did not take no for an answer.

Harry could not stop his eyebrow from twitching during DADA; the man was an idiot! Draco leaned towards him and whispered:

"How the hell are we supposed to be able to battle a werewolf down when all we learn is what Lockhart's favourite colour is?"

"And his bloody dreams for that matter," Theodore muttered from Harry's other side.

"Maybe he doesn't know how to defeat a werewolf," Harry whispered back to them, desperately trying to make his eyebrow stop twitch. "After all, he thinks vampires can eat salad."

"He does that?" the blonde asked. "Oh Merlin, he is an idiot."

"Quiet in the back!" Lockhart said and looked at them. "You are interrupting my reading of how I defeated the werewolf in Spain."

"Are there even werewolves in Spain?" Theodore whispered and the two boys had to cover their mouths in order to stifle their laughter.

-

"Mr Potter, would you like to stay behind?"

Harry gritted his teeth but did not speak.

"I'll catch up with you guys," he said to Draco.

"No way; I'm waiting outside for you," the blonde boy said and patted his shoulder before leaving.

"What is it, professor?" Harry asked Lockhart, not moving from his spot.

"Can't you come any closer?"

"I prefer sitting here unless there is something special you would like to talk about."

"You and your friends were talking during my reading today."

"Merely confirmations of what you spoke of, professor."

Lockhart looked at Harry but the boy kept his face blank with the help of his Occlumency shields. He was really happy Diablos had taught him that; otherwise he would have been laughing during the lesson.

"You don't want a detention this early, right?" the man asked, smiling and showing his annoyingly white teeth.

"No, sir. That wouldn't be very nice, and I myself wouldn't have understood why."

"Then you have to wonder why because I'm giving you one."

"There is always a reason with detentions, sir," Harry said, now beginning to feel angry. "I would like to know the reason."

"You disturbed the lesson."

"I couldn't hear anyone complaining about a few sentences I said to confirm what you had said to my fellow mates… sir. Is that a crime nowadays?"

"Detention is at Friday after your last class. Don't be late."

Harry looked at the man who just smiled and then narrowed his eyes.

"We will see," the raven-haired boy said dangerously and Lockhart's smile dimmed a bit. "We will see."

With that said, he stormed out of the classroom. Draco looked up from the spot he had been staring at and said:

"What happened?"

"What is our next class?" he asked instead of answering.

"Charms," Draco said. The emerald-eyed boy slowly smiled, looking quite like his enraged uncle, and said:

"Perfect."

-

After the lesson was over, Harry stayed behind again but for another reason. Flitwick looked at him and said:

"Something's wrong, Harry?"

"I was given a detention by Professor Lockhart, sir," Harry said, "without a reason."

"Without a reason?"

"I merely confirmed a few questions my friends had of what he had said," Harry said, not quite lying. "He didn't accept that though."

"I'll have a talk with him then," the short wizard said. "Merlin knows what went through Albus' brain when he hired the man. When was the detention?"

"Friday after my classes."

"Well, until I say otherwise, don't go to the detention since it sounds he gave it to you without reasoning."

Harry inwardly grinned and thanked his Head of House before hurrying out of the room.

-

Just seeing Flitwick's satisfied smile made Harry convinced he did not have a detention anymore. Draco looked over at the Head Table to see what Harry looked so happy about. When he saw the wizard's smile he turned back and said:

"You told Flitwick about it."

"Yep! And now I don't have a detention."

"You are so evil."

"But it was true, what I said!"

"Really?" Draco asked, one eyebrow rising up.

"Well… close to true."

"Thought so."

-

"Dia!"

Diablos cocked his head and said:

"And why do you look so happy today?"

"Because Flitwick told Lockhart off when the man tried to give me a detention! Did you learn your scary smile from professor Flitwick?"

"I learned many things from Flitwick, Harry, but I didn't know he had a scary smile."

"You look quite alike when you smile," Harry said and bounced on the bed. "How did the talk with Dumbledore go?"

Diablos' face darkened so Harry's smile dimmed a bit.

"That bad, huh?" he said and looked at his uncle trough the mirror. "What did he say?"

"He was convinced he would get to you. Harry, I want you to be as careful as you can be. Don't let yourself be left alone with Dumbledore, or Lockhart for that matter."

"Why not Lockhart? He's just an idiot."

"He may be an idiot, but he's working for Dumbledore. Dumbledore gets famous, he gets famous. So he will help Dumbledore to get you."

"Oh… Okay, I won't be alone with them. But if it happens?"

"Call on me through the mirror if it gets out of hand."

"How will that help?"

"Just do it."

"Fine. Can we talk about something more fun?" Harry asked.

"You start; how was your first day?" Diablos asked and leaned back into the armchair, slowly getting his legs up to curl up. He had been at home and trying to find something to make the time pass. He had not been that successful and had retreated to the Room of Memories as Harry had named it and sat there for the whole day, merely thinking and letting his mind wander from time to time. He might have taken a short nap during the day but he was not sure; everything was blurred together.

He listened on as Harry talked about his day, and then it was the boy's turn to know about his. Diablos scratched his head and said:

"I've been… sitting."

"Sitting? That's all?!" Harry almost shouted in disbelief.

"I didn't figure out something else to do," Diablos said. "I was bored of planning lessons I already planned before the summer began, I had nothing I wanted to read and nothing I wanted to check up on. Besides, it was nice just sitting and thinking for once."

"You do that all the time."

"I could think of what I wanted to think about, not about twenty things at once," he huffed out as he pulled a blanket around himself which had been draped over the arm to the armchair he was seated in. "Dora is probably cursing me in the kitchen though."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't eat lunch."

"Dia! You have to eat at least three times a day; you're too skinny!"

"I ate breakfast and dinner!" the man tried. "Isn't that enough?"

"No, it's not!" Harry replied, happy that Draco and Theodore were not there in the room at the moment. He must be sounding like a mother-hen. "Three times a day, no less! Do you want me to go through Salerna, Dora, Lucius and Bill again?"

"… No."

"Then start eating!"

"I didn't feel hungry."

"You still have to eat!"

Diablos scrunched his face up and said:

"Fine, I will. But I'm going back to work tomorrow anyway and I'm sure Salerna will pester me enough."

"Don't worry; I'll write him an owl and ask him to pester you from me as well."

"Oh joy," the man muttered darkly.

-

Harry wanted seriously tear his hair out. First Dumbledore and Lockhart, and now that bloody Weasley girl! Was she still under the influence of a love potion??

At the moment he had sought refugee in the library, hoping Ginny Weasley would not be able to find him there. It was lunch on a Wednesday but the boy had decided to skip it since she had been harassing him all since breakfast the previous day. It had started innocently at first, she stopping him before he went inside the hall Tuesday morning and asked him the time. When she had not let go of him once he had told her had he begun feeling irritation. She had parted her lips and suddenly wanted to become his girlfriend. That said, and Harry had nearly fled to the Slytherin table. She had tried to catch him after breakfast but he ran to his class and therefore he got away... for a little while. She was waiting for him as he was going to have lunch but luckily he had been saved by Blaise Zabini who had noticed and kindly pretended he needed to talk to Harry about something very important. The boy vowed to talk to Blaise more often as the boy seemed friendly, just lonely. Dinner had been a near nightmare, with her staring at him during the whole time and then she tried to follow him afterwards. And breakfast this morning had almost become a repeat of Tuesday if not Draco had come and "accidently" pushed her away. She had shown up after his class before lunch, and he had fled into the other direction. She was crazy, and that look in her eyes was not normal for a kid in her age!

"There you are!"

Startled, Harry looked up to find none other than Severus Snape coming, a small frown on his face. The black-haired man sat down by the table and said:

"Draco and the others were quite worried when you didn't show up."

"I'm hiding," Harry informed the man.

"Hiding?"

"From Ginny-who-must-be-affected-by-a-love-potion Weasley."

Severus stared at him, and the boy shrugged, continuing:

"Unless she is a horny seventeen-year old girl in a child's body."

The man raised an eyebrow.

"Are you quite serious?" the man asked.

"Yes, quite! She asked me if she could be my girlfriend this morning and I had to wrench myself free! Eleven-year old girls aren't supposed to think on that just yet!"

Harry looked at Severus who continued:

"Do you think she is under a love potion?"

"She was that when Dumbledore oh so kindly put me with the Weasleys at the beginning of the summer, so yeah I'm sure."

"I'll handle it, alright?" the man said. "Come on, you need lunch to get your energy back."

"Try saying that to my uncle," Harry muttered.

"Unlike you, your uncle enjoys to ignore people," Severus huffed. "I'm sure Salerna has made him gone half-deaf already with his nagging."

-

Diablos was positive his eyebrow was twitching. He looked up from his papers to the small group in the back of the classroom; they were chatting excitedly and not concentrating on the problem he had given them. The man took a deep breath and tried to calm down; it would be no use if he got angry at them.

After another twenty minutes and the group had not stopped, Diablos breathed deeply and looked at them. A few of the other students gulped at seeing the glowing red eyes; the man was irritated.

"You in the back," the man said and the temperature dropped to freezing. The group stopped chatting and looked at him. "I know this isn't the most fascinated class you have ever gone to, but if you wish to finish this education to the level you are acquired to have you better stop talking nonsense and start being serious."

Diablos spoke calmly, a frightening smile on his face and the group quickly started working in silence. The room slowly warmed up and the man returned to his papers and the other groups gradually relaxed. Their teacher was good, but scary.

-

"As if it wasn't enough with Ginny Weasley; now her idiot to brother has to start as well!"

"Start with what?" Draco asked as he looked at the raven-haired boy worriedly.

"He's following me again, and doing the whole traitor-thing," Harry whined and fell onto the blonde's bed. "It's annoying the hell outta me…"

Theodore shook his head at the boy and Draco looked at the emerald-eyed boy.

"Tell Severus or professor Flitwick," the blonde suggested.

"It won't help."

"Teach him not to follow you?"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Harry asked.

Draco looked at him in disbelief.

"Harry, you do know he has two brothers who would love to help you out."

The raven-haired boy looked at Draco for a while. Then he blinked, shone up and said:

"That's it!"

He ran off to his bed to get the special parchment up. Draco followed eagerly, not wanting to be left outside. Theodore chuckled at the two of them before continuing with his homework. With those two around, there was never a dull moment.

-

Draco, Harry, Hermione and Padma met up with the Weasley twins and Neville the next day by the lake. The sun was shining and it was not very cold outside. Hermione had taken a blanket with her and the twins had some food with them that they had gotten from the kitchens. Once they were seated and eating, Fred and George turned to Harry and said:

"You wanted to discuss pranks, right?"

"Yep. On your dear siblings and Professor Lockhart."

"Which siblings? The two younger ones or the older one?"

"I hardly know your older sibling, whatever his name is now again, so no, not him."

"Weird-Ginny and ickle-Ronnie then?" they said simultaneously.

"Yep," Harry replied and grinned. "Why do you call her weird?"

"Because she is weird," George replied as Fred took a clunk of pumpkin-juice. "Either she stares at you, or doesn't look anywhere at all. Plus she speaks about some friend she has but we've never seen her with anyone."

"New friend?"

"Yeah. She's weird," the twins said. "And annoying as hell. Every word that comes out of her mouth, is either copied from mother or from ickle-Ronnie. What do you want us to do with them? And to Professor Idiot?"

"Idiot?" Draco questioned.

"Lockhart is an idiot," Fred said, waving his arms around and making them laugh. "Therefore he is Professor Idiot."

"Well, I thought that some pranks will make them really careful," Harry said with a grin. "And I have the perfect partners in crime for you two."

"You have?" The twins' eyes lit up.

The boy's grin turned rather frightening.

-

"Moony, you gotta look at this now!"

Remus looked at Sirius oddly as the man ran into the living room. The man jumped up and down on the spot, eyes sparkling and his mouth turned in a ridiculous grin. Remus stretched out a hand, amused with his friend, and Sirius bounced over to give him the letter. The werewolf glanced at the hyperactive man beside him before starting to read:

_Hi Padfoot and Moony,_

_It's Harry. I got a small favour to ask. How much would you like to do some of your pranks again on some very annoying people? You will be teamed up with the Weasley twins, Fred and George, who are quite similar to you guys. Anything you need in potions Severus will provide. If it's any charms you have problem with, owl Professor Flitwick. If you need to transfigure something, Professor McGonagall is quite happy to be at service. And if you wish to have some remarkable good curse words, just say 'Albus Dumbledore' in front of Dia and he's off (make sure to record it, since you will not be able to follow him). If you want a constant-chatting spell that are so annoying you want to kill something, record Salerna while he speaks about the importance of having good health. I know it works on me._

_What do you say? Are you up for it?_

_Love,_

_Prongslet_

Remus looked up at Sirius who now had huge puppy-eyes and hands clasped together. The werewolf smiled, quite cheerfully, and said:

"I like the idea of constant-chatting spell, although I don't know where we can use it. Well, no matter. We have time to think on that. But we better get started right?"

-

Harry showed the letter from his two godfathers to the Weasley twins and they grinned. They looked up at the boy and said:

"And if we need anything, it will be provided?"

"Yes," Harry said. "I believe Sirius and Remus were going to record Salerna and then go off and record curse words from Dia. Plus Sirius wanted a potion for yours oh so lovely siblings, and have sent which one. I'm quite sure Severus will enjoy the challenge, or so Sirius promised he would. Wish to follow me there?"

"Yes," they replied in chorus. "We have a potion we need to do as well, for Professor Idiot."

-

Severus looked at the parchment on which Sirius had scribbled down the potion, and then up at Harry with a grin looking quite like Diablos.

"This… will be pure joy to make," he said. "It was for Lockhart, right?"

"Yes," Harry replied. Severus shone up, a quite unusual sight and exclaimed:

"Let me start with it immediately!"

Harry and the twins laughed silently as the man rushed off to his cauldron and began. He looked up for a moment, suddenly remembering the twins' request in the midst of his excitement and said:

"Use whatever you need, just tell me if anything runs out."

"Will do sir," they said with a salute before beginning to prepare another cauldron. "What will you do now, Harry?"

"It's soon dinner time, so I'm going to have dinner. Then I was going to do some homework with the others in the library."

"Why the library?" Fred asked.

"Because Neville can be with us then," Harry replied. "If we are interrupted too many times, we'll move to the Ravenclaw common room since we can't really bring a Gryffindor into the snake den."

"Got it!" the twins said thumbs up, and the boy left with a laugh.

-

A vein ticked on Harry's forehead when Lockhart looked at him… _again_. It was getting fairly annoying by now. Draco glanced up at the teacher and sighed in frustration.

"That's it," he said. "We're going to the Ravenclaw common room."

"Finally!" Padma said. "I've been waiting for ages for that suggestion!"

They all moved up, gathered their books and left the library with a chorus of goodbyes to Madam Pince. Rather confused yet rather happy, Madam Pince said goodbye back. Lockhart growled in anger.

-

Diablos rubbed his face tiredly and looked himself in the mirror. With a flick of his wrist he dried his hair and moved out into the bedroom. Seeing the person lying sprawled on his bed, the raven-haired man groaned.

"Why are you here?" the red-eyed man asked, moving towards the wardrobe dressed only in underwear.

"I am here because I am not anywhere else," the man on the bed replied. He had silvery blonde hair to his hips, emotionless eyes and a gentle smile on his lips as he watched his friend dress. He was not shy, and not slow to admit that his friend looked quite nice and fit. If just to see the devil blush and get mock-angry.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else?" Diablos asked as he got his teacher robes on. He grabbed his boots and entered the bedroom again. "Oi, don't fall asleep on me."

"But your bed is nice," the man whined.

"I'm telling you, lazy ass, get up! Salerna might be here any minute."

"You just love to keep secrets right?" the silvery blonde man asked.

"It's not about keeping secrets," Diablos said with a sigh. "They will know about you and her… eventually."

"They will know," the man said. "But will they accept?"

"Odium! That's enough."

The man, Odium, looked over at his red-eyed friend and rose up. He draped his arms around the smaller man, although lightly as if knowing how much touch Diablos could stand at the moment, and said:

"Forgive me, Diablos. My mouth slips easily; an annoying habit from the time when my heart was still beating."

-

Harry sat down by the Slytherin table to eat, wondering where Draco and the others were. He had not found one of them, and it tugged at his heart just a bit.

He was relieved when Theodore sat down by him. He could not see Blaise, so therefore he could not invite the boy over. Oh well; he would have more chances.

"Hey, have you seen Draco anything?" the raven-haired boy asked. Theodore thought for a little while and then said:

"I think I saw him in the library for a little bit not too long ago. He was heading out though; couldn't have been in there for a few minutes. Why?"

"I haven't met him on the whole day," Harry said. It was Saturday and lunchtime, and so far he had not met anyone of his friends.

"I'm sure he'll show up soon," the other boy reassured the raven-haired one. "Maybe he's just planning a surprise."

"Maybe," Harry said, looking down at his plate.

He was startled when Marcus Flint joined the two and started getting food. Marcus looked down at Harry and said:

"Why looking so depressed?"

"Nothing," Harry replied, waving his hand. "Just overreacting."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Marcus began eating then, strangely quiet, and looked over at the Head Table with what the two children could see a sneer on his face.

"I'll swear I'll kill that bloody idiot," he suddenly snarled before stabbing the carrot on his plate, his eyes hard and his mouth set to a thin line.

"Who?" Harry and Theodore asked.

"Gilderoy bloody Lockhart," Marcus said, glaring slightly at said man. "The day he dies I will laugh at his corpse."

"Why?" they asked simultaneously, before looking over at each other and blinking. Marcus chuckled a bit at their actions before saying:

"Because he's going to fail me in DADA."

"What?!" Harry nearly screamed.

"He said so himself today," the teen said, stabbing the poor carrot a few more times. "My parents will understand when I explain later, but still it's not fun. I won't be able to continue with DADA if I fail, and next year is my last. Just my bloody luck…"

Harry's head began to spin with anger. How dare Lockhart?! And for what reasons?! From what Harry had seen the Quidditch captain do in DADA, he should not have been failed and not this quickly! It had not even been a month into the new school year!

"Wait a minute," he said and looked at Marcus. "The final exams pretty much determinate weather you pass or not, right?"

"Much of your grades depend on the final exams yes. Why?"

"If you make sure to get the highest score on the final exams, he can't fail you," the boy said.

"And who will teach me?" Marcus asked. "No one here knows exactly what I need to know. The seventh-years can help me a bit, but they are busy with their own classes."

"Write me a list," Harry said suddenly.

"What?" the teen asked, confused. "Why?"

"Are you the only one who missed who my uncle was?" the boy asked. Marcus raised an eyebrow, silently saying he must have. "My uncle is a teacher in Dark Arts and its siblings at the Auror School in Italy. Write the list, I give the list to him, and _he_ will tell _you_ what to read."

Marcus widened his eyes.

"Would he really go through that trouble for me?" the Quidditch captain asked.

"Please!" Harry said. "He probably still got sixth year from school memorized in that bloody head of his so he'll just rabble up anything that I want know."

"Are you serious?" Theodore asked, wide-eyed. "He can just rabble it up he wants to?"

"He has done so more than once to me," Harry said.

"I'll give you the list as quickly as I can," Marcus said, seemingly grateful he still might make it. Harry nodded, happy to be at some help, and then looked down at his own food with a frown. This conversation had made his thoughts focus on DADA and Marcus' dilemma but now he began to wonder again, and he really wanted to find out where his friends were.

As if answer his request, Padma came into the hall. She spotted Harry and skipped over to him. She tugged on his arm and said:

"Come on, Harry."

"What, where?" Harry asked as he let himself be dragged up.

"We got a surprise for you," she said and Theodore got a look that said 'I told you so.'

She dragged him out of the hall before he could say much more than goodbye to the two, and walked towards the dungeons.

"Padma?" he asked. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

She came to the Potions classroom, opened it and pushed him inside. The boy looked around the room in confusion.

"Harry!" Hermione said happily. "You found him, Padma."

"He was eating lunch."

"What's going on?" the boy asked as he looked at the people in the room. Severus was pouring something up from a cauldron, not really paying attention to the children invading his classroom. The Weasley twins grinned at him, Neville got up a small smile and Draco grinned as well.

"We got the plan ready," Draco said as Harry was steered to sit down.

"The plan?" he asked.

"The prank-plan," Fred added. "Everything is finished, and is going to be set into motion."

"Already?" he said with wide eyes. It had not been so many days since they discussed it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was going to be a surprise," all of the children said. The twins continued, "Your dear godfathers sent us their plans as well, and we are going to set up one each for weird-Ginny, ickle-Ronnie and Iditot now so it will start by dinner."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Until when?" he asked.

"Dunno," George said and shrugged. "A few moments, a few minutes, a few days, a week, longer… who knows? All that is certain is that weird-Ginny, ickle-Ronnie and Professor Idiot will leave you alone after this. They will be busier with dealing with the consequences and shock than hacking on you."

The boy looked at his friends and then at Severus who just finished with the potion.

"What potion is it?" he asked. The black-haired man smiled and said:

"Just wait and see, Harry. It's a potion Sirius claimed he got from your uncle's hands."

"From Dia?" Harry asked. "Wouldn't that be some kind of torture potion?"

"Not exactly," the potions professor said cheerfully. "Torture, yes, but without the pain. I guess you can say torture in a totally different way."

The children looked at each other. What the hell did that mean?

-

Harry glanced over his friends once in a while during the first few minutes into dinner but their faces did not reveal anything. His eyes swept over at the Gryffindor Table and Ron sneered at him. Harry looked down and the redhead laughed at the boy. Then the Weasley accidently took another person's fork when he reached for his own. The first prank activated.

Ron gave out a surprised yelp when his plate suddenly dumped all the food into his lap, his goblet threw the pumpkin juice into Lavender's face and his fork, spoon and knife rapped him over the head. Everyone started laughing after a few moments, and then it started happen to more people in Gryffindor.

Harry laughed helplessly at the sight with Draco, Hermione and Padma laughing at his side. Theodore chuckled at the sight and several of the Slytherins had to laugh as well.

The fork stopped rapping Ron's head and moved back. To the boy's horrified surprise, something akin to a mouth was created and the fork began to scream:

"_You ungrateful son of a fucking bitch, if I ever see you choose that fork over me again, I'll fucking kill you!"_

The fork was replaced by the spoon which continued:

"_Not to mention the way you glanced over at THAT spoon, you stuttering idiot! Beware before I carve out your heart with your beloved spoon, you traitor!"_

Harry laughed harder as he recognized some parts coming from his uncle, although a bit changed to fit these rather strange accusations, and wondered how his friends had succeeded with the spells.

Last up was the knife:

"_If I ever see your face again,__ try reminding me again for what reason I chose to live on, you ugly fool! And don't think it's because I like seeing your face!"_

The plates, goblets and silverware stopped moving after that. Most of the Gryffindors sat shell-shocked, the other Houses laughing and the teachers blinking, not really understanding. Harry began calming down, his day brightening quickly.

"Come on, there is still tons left!" Draco whispered to his friend. "We still got little-Weasel and the stupid teacher!"

In the next moment, one fork lifted and smacked Ginny over the head. Her plate had been left untouched, and now the fork brought everyone's attention to the girl. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at the fork in the air.

"_Bad girl!"_ the fork shouted. _"Bad, bad, bad, BAD girl! Haven't your mother taught you anything, you silly and ignorant little girl?!"_

"Taught me what?" Ginny managed weakly.

"_SALAD!"_ the fork shrieked, and Harry nearly collapsed in hysterical laughter. This was quite alike Salerna when he got his little hysterias about health! _"You forgot your bloody SALAD, stupid! You know what that means!"_

"… No," the girl replied. "I don't know."

"_YOU DON'T KNOW?!"_ Everyone was laughing so hard the fork had to shout louder to get heard. _"FAAAAAT! You get FAT, and no one can stand to get fat! So you are going to eat SALAD, now!"_

All bowls with salad lifted from the Gryffindor table and promptly dumped themselves over the girl.

"_EAT IT ALL UP! NOW!"_ the fork shrieked. _"I don't want to see one piece of SALAD left on your plate after I'm done with you!"_

Ginny stared at the fork, completely paralyzed, and Harry laughed at the furious look Dumbledore had. The fork dropped down onto the table, seemingly harmless. Ginny did not dare touch it though.

"Now it's time for Lockhart," Hermione whispered. "And it's your uncle's potion!"

Harry furiously rubbed on his eyes to get away the tears he had cried during his hysteria breakdown and looked over at the Head Table.

Lockhart sat still and looked at the Gryffindor table like all the other teachers. Except for he held a goblet in his hand.

"When he drinks that, the potion will start," Padma supplied to Harry.

"What if he doesn't drink it?"

"Don't worry," the blonde boy said. "He will."

Lockhart, without thinking, raised the goblet and drank. Whatever Diablos had done for kind of potion, it was immediate.

Everyone's attention was brought from the Gryffindors to the Head Table when Lockhart disappeared behind a large puff of smoke. Harry widened his eyes, and wondered not for the first time what his uncle had done for kind of potion. Diablos was not the one known for pranks.

Once the smoke cleared, there was a shocked silence. Then the Great hall exploded in laughter. There sat Lockhart, looking every inch like an enlarged gnome. And as everyone knows, they are not nice-looking creatures. His clothes, however, were in a dozen of different bright colours and when he tried to speak the words came out in the goblin language. This meant, no one understood him. The teachers' mouths dropped (except for Severus, who hid his wide grin behind one hand) and the students only laughed harder.

-

"That was bloody great!"

Harry was still grinning like a fool when they fell down onto the blankets Hermione and Padma had brought with them outside. The Weasley twins laughed and said:

"And think! That potion was invented by your uncle!"

Harry giggled at that and said:

"Hey, let's ask him now!"

"Yeah!" Draco shouted.

"Do it!" Neville cut it, grinning. He had enjoyed himself quite much as being one of the unaffected at the Gryffindor table, and had loved the DADA teacher's new face.

Harry took out his mirror and called on his uncle. Diablos' face showed up and he looked slightly confused at the grinning children.

"This feels… not like I'm going to enjoy it," the man said, feeling nervous all of a sudden.

"Dia, have you ever heard of a potion that turns you into a gnome, dress you in annoyingly bright clothes and make you capable of speaking the goblin's language only?" Harry asked.

The man's eyes widened quite a bit, then he scratched his head and said:

"I should've known better than to let Sirius look through my old potions-stuff."

"Which means you did make it!" Harry shrieked.

"Yes, I did," Diablos said, wincing at his nephew's shrill tone. "I was bored and wondered if I could do it."

"What year were you in when you did that?" Fred asked.

"Oh gosh… must've been second or third."

"What?!" they all shouted.

"I was quite good in potions when I was young," Diablos said and seated himself as he figured this conversation would be for quite some time. "Though I've neglected that skill a lot during the last years."

"Dia, why did you do just that potion?" Harry asked.

"Well, I started to think off it right after I had started the year, whatever year it now was," the red-eyed man said and frowned as he thought. It was a long time ago after all. "I had seen a gnome earlier that summer, decided it looked ridiculous as hell and thought of making some people who were harassing me look like gnomes with the help of a potion. But then I saw Dumbledore and lay special notice to his blindingly ugly clothes and added that. And finally, when I was in fourth or fifth year, I perfected it with the goblin's language since it sounded funny."

"Sounded funny?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I believe my thoughts strayed that way," the man said. "Something else?"

"Erm…" the Weasley twins said. "The reverse-potion?"

"What reverse-potion?" Diablos said. "I never did one, and I don't know how the teachers reversed it in the past. Since the people was gone for some time, I assumed they just had to wait it out."

"So…"

"Who did you do it on?"

"Lockhart," they chorused. Diablos thought for a while, then shrugged and said carelessly:

"Well, I think you'll hardly notice the difference."

Tbc…

* * *

Ended it quite abruptly but don't worry! This isn't the last we've seen of the pranks! Still a long year ahead of us, and the constant-chatting spell just have to be used in some way!

Chapter 18: How has it gone for Lockhart? Did the teachers succeed reversing the potion and bring him back to normal? Some of the teachers remember this potion, and is a bit too amused to really want to help. But their happiness is cut short as Halloween shows up with yet a new problem. An of course, Harry in the middle of it in a rather tight situation. What will he do?

And just if you're wondering:  
During Lockhart's lesson, Theodore asks if there even exist werewolves in Spain. Now, maybe in the real HP-world it might, but this is my world and in my world they don't. Just to make Lockhart look more of an idiot; I can't stand the man.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	19. Chapter 18

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Hiya people! A bit change of plans for this chapter! There will be a near-fatal accident and some angst mixing with all the lightness and some friendship-bonding but don't worry! No one is going to die. Who has the near-fatal accident? Well, read and find out.

Thanks for all the reviews, and enjoy chapter eighteen.

-

**Chapter Eighteen**

"What should we do headmaster? He can't just look like that forever!"

Dumbledore looked over at Sprout in irritation but answered with his kind voice:

"We will find a solution. Until the DADA lessons will be cancelled; the students will receive certain things to do and hand to Gilderoy once he's back to normal."

The teacher in question was in a private room in the Infirmary, at the moment with Madam Pomfrey, while most of the teachers were outside the room and discussed what to do. Severus thanked Merlin over and over again for his Occlumency skills; otherwise he would be on the floor and laugh like a fool. That would not have been good for his image, not to mention Dumbledore would suspect something.

"Severus?"

He looked up at the headmaster, and Dumbledore continued:

"Could it have been a potion?"

"Considering it happened right after he drank it, yes," the man said smoothly, fighting off the knowing grin. After all, it was himself who had done it faithfully after Diablos' instructions.

"Can you try to find a cure?" the headmaster asked.

"I will go and see if the house-elves have gotten rid of the potion," Severus said, "otherwise I might have to take a blood-sample and then separate the potion from the blood itself."

"Now when I think of it," McGonagall said, "this prank reminds me of a series of similar ones."

"Oh?" the potions master said. "Care to tell?"

"It was even before you were in Hogwarts," the woman said and a few of the teachers nodded absently. "Some students were affected of it."

"And was there a cure?" Severus asked.

"Unfortunately not," the Transfiguration teacher said, fighting off her smile. "Maybe you will find one, but we had to simply wait the potion out back then."

"Wait it out?" the man echoed.

"Yes," McGonagall said, her voice not quite a chirp but close. "Mostly it took a few weeks."

Dumbledore seemed to miss her mischievous tone but Severus and Flitwick did not. They controlled their smiles and Madam Pomfrey came out. She walked over to them with brisk steps and said:

"Well, there is nothing I can do. I've tried every spell possible; he still remains the same. I suggest you give Severus a try, but not to place too much hope on that. I remember this potion."

"You do?" Severus said smoothly. "What can you tell me about it?"

"First, here," she said and gave him a vial with blood. "So you have something to work on. This potion first surfaced three years before you came, but then the affected spoke normally. It resurfaced one year before you started, this time as it is now. No cure was ever found or made."

"And the maker of the potion was never discovered?" Severus asked, trying to fight off his laugh. It seemed like Diablos had some sense of prank-making. It would make Sirius glad if anything.

"No, he or she remained anonymous," the nurse said and her lips thinned out. To anyone who did not know her you would have thought she was angry. But McGonagall, Flitwick and Severus knew better. She was trying to fight off a smile.

… Well, what you do know? Maybe she was not so hell-bent with being on the manipulating man's side as the three had thought.

-

Madam Pomfrey held the three after the others made their way out to their chambers for the night. She closed the doors, not looking at them. She then turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" the stern Transfiguration teacher said.

"You don't seem overly concerned about this," the nurse said. "Which one of you knew about it?"

With a sigh Severus waved his hand a bit, knowing he could not hide the truth from her once she got going.

"You made it?" Madam Pomfrey continued.

"Yes," the man said. "But I will not say who the maker is."

"Oh, don't worry," the woman said as she walked towards one of the beds to straighten the sheets out, despite it being in perfect condition. Her hands slowed down to almost stroking the pillow, as if she was remembering something good. She shook herself out of it and continued, "I only know one person who would do this."

"You do?" Flitwick asked, throwing a glance at Severus. He had a vague idea of whose potion Severus had made, but could not make any conclusions. He had a guess since Diablos had been somewhat of a genius in potions and this potion seemed to be something the red-eyed man would do just for the heck of it…

"Yes," she said, straightening up from fixing the sheets and now simply standing by the bed. It was almost as if it was special for her. "Only Diablos Potter would think of such a potion and then actually create it."

They stared at her. Severus the most. She knew who had made it, and had not said it to Dumbledore??

"You knew all these years?" McGonagall said, shocked.

"Diablos can be quite a charmer when he wants to be, as can I," Madam Pomfrey said with a laugh. "I guess you could call us friends, despite our difference in age. Of all the times he was here in the Infirmary, this bed was his. He 'accidently' hexed whoever was in the bed when he wanted to be in it."

"Wanted to be?" Severus asked.

"Horace never knew of course, neither did Dumbledore," she said with a huff. "Diablos slept here most of his time of the school-years. He successfully nestled himself a nice place in my heart and even after all these years he's kept it. True, he can't come here but no one really questioned my trips to Italy."

"What?" the three said in disbelief.

"Oh please," she said with another huff. "Who do you think made him interested in healing, and eventually make him take classes so he could become a healer at the side of his teaching-job? I taught him his first healing-spells, how to make scans and what potion would lessen specific pain."

The answer surprised both Severus and Flitwick. They had known Diablos better than McGonagall and therefore wondered when he had met up with her. And Harry did not seem to have known her…

"Diablos keeps secrets," she said to the two men as if reading their thoughts. "He is a Slytherin after all, and all his actions are for a reason even if he alone understands the reason."

"How much do you know about him?" Severus asked, amused.

She looked at him with a sly smile.

"Far more than you expect, and would believe. Now I believe I have a very distraught teacher to make sure he stays where I put him. I bid you all a good night."

She then left, leaving them to stare at her retreating back.

-

Harry curled up on the bed, smiling widely. They should have had a Defence class but Lockhart had not been turned back to normal and therefore Dumbledore had informed them the following day they would have no Defence classes until the man was back. That had been two days ago, it was now Monday and they had no class in the morning. Therefore, Harry was taking a bit of a lazy moment in his bed, Theodore and Draco still asleep. He turned and looked at the two-way mirror as it lay on the sheets innocently. His uncle was a very evil uncle indeed. Creating that kind of potion though made Harry full of laughter though, and he muffled his giggles against a pillow.

He looked over at the watch. It crept closer to seven when he normally got up at six. He wondered if Diablos was asleep. He took the mirror and spelled his curtains shut before adding a silencing spell. He did not want to wake up his friends.

"Dia?" he whispered into the mirror. A few moments later he heard a small groan and the mirror moved and opened. Diablos looked at him, eyes sleepy and dark rings underneath them. Harry frowned; he had not spoken to his uncle since Saturday, and then the man had looked fine.

"Dia, you okay?" he asked.

"Just perfect," his uncle mumbled, head falling back to the pillow. "Perfect…"

His voice sounded exhausted. Harry grew worried.

"Dia, are you feeling okay?" he asked with more force in his voice.

"Nooo," the man moaned. "I feel horrible."

"Dia?!"

The man tried to sit up but ended up falling right back. Onto the floor. Harry shot up with a cry when his uncle's body connected with the floor with a thud. He saw the man's skin was too pale than normally and his insides froze.

"Dia!"

The man coughed weakly, his hand dropping the mirror. As the coughing grew worse, Harry's shout went through the silencing spell and woke the other two up.

-

Salerna ran into Potter Manor with his hair tousled and still in his nightclothes, not caring one bit about his appearance. Dora had gone directly back to her master after her rather long travel to Hogwarts, following her young master's call. Harry had informed her hysterically about Diablos and she had been gone before he had collapsed in his friend's arms. The poor creature was probably killing herself from the inside out for not checking on her master. The first she had done was to contact Salerna as she was not familiar with other people Diablos knew.

The white-haired man threw the raven-haired man's bedroom door open, and ran up to Diablos. The man was being held by Dora, the house-elf calmly stroking his hair and trying to lessen his seizures.

Salerna sent Dora for healers before picking up the man's upper body and holding Diablos to his chest. The man moaned into Salerna's shoulder, hand gripping the other hard.

"It's okay," Salerna whispered, cradling the back of his friend's head gently. He inwardly cursed. He looked down at the sweaty and pale face of Diablos and said softly, "You fucking idiot. You know you aren't bloody immortal so why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Not doing… anything," Diablos bit out.

"For being such a good liar, you can't fool me now," Salerna hissed. "You know what I mean. Healing magic on yourself when used too much will turn your fortune. How long have you let your healing magic surround you constantly?"

Diablos closed his eyes, trying to get away.

"How long?!" the man shouted at the younger one. His temper was quickly going another way than he wanted, but he did not have time to be gentle with his friend.

"I don't know," Diablos whispered, his mind almost shattered. He was not thinking clearly,_ could not _think clearly because of the pain. "A few months, a few years, my whole life? I don't know… It still hurts so goddam much."

"What hurts so much you let your own magic nearly kill you?" Salerna whispered. "Tell me, child. Please, tell me."

Diablos cried out in pain as his magic flared. He whimpered and in a sudden need for comfort, he pressed himself tightly against his friend and his shoulders started shaking as if he was crying.

"My chest," Diablos mumbled. "When I am alone, and feel alone, the pain comes back. It hasn't been here for so many years. Make it stop…"

His voice, so quiet and yet so heartbroken, made Salerna tighten his hold. How long had Diablos suffered like this, his body in agony and his mind drowning in sorrow and despair?

The arrival of the healers brought them both of their stupor. The healers knew Diablos and Salerna and therefore it made this more personal.

"What happened?" one of them asked. She was a middle-age woman with brown hair up in a bun, her clear green eyes worried as she pulled out her wand.

"Overuse of healing magic, resulting in body seizure," Salerna responded. "He doesn't know how long he's done it."

She ran a scan over him to make sure he was not already dying and said:

"Unfortunately we can't perform such complicated scans to know for sure how long if it's been longer than three days. But his condition tells me it's been for a very long time. Can he speak?"

"I think so," the white-haired man said. He hoisted the man up better and continued, "Diablos, open your pretty eyes. It's only Ramina, and she's worried."

The red eyes opened slowly and focused on her. She smiled gently and said:

"Try to tell me how long you have used the healing magic."

Diablos closed his eyes and thought for a while. His mouth opened and he spoke calmly, now when the seizures had calmed down a bit but still leaving his body shaking like a leaf in his friend's arms:

"I think… since I was seventeen. I was hit… with a black curse straight in my chest… it never healed I guess."

Ramina coaxed him down onto his back before removing the shirt, successfully hiding her surprise over how long he had had the healing magic up. Her eyes scanned his chest and said:

"Try to pull your magic back, Diablos. We can heal it, we've healed a lot of black curses, but not with the person's healing magic trying to do the same. You can only do a certain kind of healing and to a certain level to yourself."

Diablos turned his head away to not let them see his utter despair. He knew of the pain that would come when he let the healing magic retreat, however short the healers would make it. He spoke:

"Salerna."

"What?" the white-haired man said, wanting to do anything to help.

"Be sure to hold me down," the man said. "Hit me unconscious if you need to, and for Merlin's sake don't hesitate."

Salerna's eyes widened but he grabbed onto the man. The other healers moved around, kneeling around him and ready to start. He tilted his head back, arching his back a bit and found Salerna's grip satisfying. With a pained sigh, he drew back all of his healing magic.

His eyes opened wide as the black curse reminded him why it was a black curse. His mouth open wide and a scream tore from his throat. Salerna had to use almost his full weight to keep Diablos' trashing body still and the healers began.

Diablos felt like he was drowning in pain. Memories flashes by, replaying that event that had nearly cost his own life:

_Diablos looked up from his book when he heard screaming. He frowned and stood up. He left his bag where it was and when he heard curses being shouted, dark ones or black ones, his eyes widened and he began running._

_He watched Death Eaters running from the Forbidden Forest, shouting out Crucios and various other spells left and right at the students. His eyes caught the eleven-year old Sirius Black who at that moment fell down. His young legs were too weak to carry him and Sirius turned around in terror as a black curse came flying towards him._

Diablos began another scream, his red eyes reflecting the pain he had felt when he was seventeen, the same pain he was now feeling.

_He never thought of the consequences. He could only think it was his brother's friend. His brother's friend was going to die. Sirius was going to die. _

_Well, not if he could help it. Without a thought of his own safety, without thinking what would happen afterwards, he ran._

-

In England, Sirius Black woke up with a gasp. His grey eyes stared wildly around him, his heart racing. The incident had happened so long ago… why was it still haunting him? The sight of Diablos Potter, nothing more but a teenager, with a hole through his chest. The blood pouring down, the flesh regenerating at an alarming rate. The abnormally bright red eyes as Diablos turned to look at him. And finally how they rolled back and the teen had fallen down the moment the teachers poured out of the school, shooting curses at the Death Eaters.

Sirius shuddered as he remembered Diablos' warm blood splattering onto his face. He lifted his trembling hands and felt on his cheeks, just to make sure the blood was really gone, both for real and from his mind.

-

_The curse hurt. Hurt more than anything he had felt ever in his life. He felt it rip through his lung and come out the other side. His breathing quickly became laboured and blood dribbled down his mouth within moments. His wand was still in its wand-holster; he had not even thought of making a shield. For being such a Slytherin, he really was Gryffindor-reckless at times._

_Diablos was not sure why he healed so quickly, but he cursed his abilities anyway. Sure, he would die soon without the regeneration, but with it his own body trapped the black curse inside. __He only had time to check that Sirius was still alive before his mind went blank._

Ramina pushed her magic in one last time and then began dragging the black curse out.

"Make sure to banish the curse once it has left his body," she ground out to one of the healers.

"His pulse is slowing down," one of the younger ones, a man named Fernandez, said. His fingers were pressed against Diablos' pulse in his neck. "We're losing him!"

"Just be ready with the damn spell!" the woman screamed as the black curse slowly was ripped out from Diablos' chest ever since it was imbedded there over twenty years earlier. Diablos' body gave a spasm before blood began to trickle down his mouth. His head thrashed from side to side, unable to hide the pain he was feeling as his chest was slowly pried opened.

Salerna was near a break-down, tears blurring pretty much of his vision. How come he never noticed his friend's agony when he had carried it for so long?! And why had it only resurfaced once in a while?

"Sale… -erna…"

The raven-haired man's pained voice made the white-haired man's head snap down. Red eyes looked at him as a hand rose to fist the older man's shirt.

"It's okay," Salerna said, moving a hand to stroke Diablos' hair. The younger man was not moving anymore. His chest barely moved so he got enough to breathe. If you called hitching gulps of air normal breathing. The curse continued to rip pieces of Diablos' chest open, and more blood came out from the man's mouth. He coughed and the blood splattered onto Salerna's face. The white-haired man froze as he felt the warmth on his cheeks and forehead. Diablos' blood. He did not want to feel it. At all.

"Please…" the raven-haired man whispered. "Don't… don't let… Dumbledore… get to Harry… o-okay?"

"You're not going to die," Salerna told his friend, his voice almost hysterical. "You are not going to die, you hear me!"

The black curse made a last attempt to dig itself back, and Diablos' eyes widened. Salerna did not know if he wanted to cry in relief or get scared when he saw the spark of anger in his younger friend's eyes. Diablos himself was sick of the pain. He was so sick of it, and wanted the curse out _now_. It always came back, always ate itself into his chest and making his body ache in pain when he in his weakest moments let the magic retreat a bit, mainly when he was alone.

The raven-haired man gritted his teeth and began to push the curse out with the help of his own magic. His magic reacted with force; it did not want anything strange inside of Diablos. Only his magic was allowed to stay. Only his, no one else's.

They watched in fascination and partly horror as the man tore the curse out with his own magic and his healing magic going up in full speed to repair the damages on mainly his lungs and heart. Blood was almost flowing from the gaping wound before Diablos' healing slowed the flow down.

Ramina and Fernandez destroyed the black curse before turning to Diablos. The man was curled up on his side, only letting Salerna close. The white-haired man coaxed him out of it and the healers watched as the wound the curse had created slowly wound itself together. Once that was done, Diablos let himself slump against Salerna, exhausted both from his use of extreme healing magic and the blood-loss his body had suffered. Ramina quickly ran a scan over her patient and sighed of relief, slumping her shoulders as the tension and adrenalin let go of her.

"He's okay," she whispered to Salerna. "He's okay now."

Salerna felt his mask slip. He let it go for once, not trying to hide himself behind cheerfulness or anger as he was used to. He buried his head into Diablos' hair, almost crushed the younger man's body against his own and sobbed in relief.

-

Draco had sent Theodore to tell Severus about what had happened, what little the two had gotten out of Harry before the boy had gone utterly silent in shock. Said boy was curled up against the blonde, his eyes closed but his breathing too fast to really be asleep.

A moment later Severus came through the door, his face pale and he spotted them directly.

"What happened?" he asked the blonde boy.

"I don't know," Draco replied. "Suddenly Harry was screaming and saying there was something wrong with Diablos. He called Dora here, and then she went straight back to get help. He's been like this ever since."

Severus sat down and gently pried the raven-haired boy's head from Draco's chest and said:

"Harry, open your eyes."

The boy did so, and looked at the potions master tiredly.

"What happened?"

"Dia fell off the bed," Harry said quietly after a few moments of tense silence. "He was coughing, but I couldn't see his face. I could only see his hand and it was twitching, like he had a seizure."

Severus' face lost a bit more colour and he looked at the emerald-eyed boy for a few minutes.

"How about we go to Dumbledore and get you free for the day?" he asked.

"What?" Harry said.

"So you can go and see if your uncle is alright," Severus said.

"Do it," Draco said. "It's not like you're going to miss a lot."

Harry looked at the two and then nodded. Severus helped him up and he rubbed his eyes. The blonde looked up at Severus, silently saying to look after the raven-haired boy. The potions master rolled his eyes; like he would let anyone do anything to Harry.

Together they left the room, leaving Draco to look after them.

-

Dumbledore did not bother to hide his twinkle in his eyes when he heard of what had happened. However, he could not refuse the boy when McGonagall and Flitwick were there with Severus, all three saying Harry should go home for the day to see if Diablos was alright.

"Of course he will be allowed," Dumbledore said and looked at Harry with what he hoped was eyes full of kindness instead of triumph. "Would it be alright if Severus went with you, just in case?"

The boy looked up at the black-haired man and replied:

"It's okay if he wants to."

"I will follow," Severus said, squeezing Harry's shoulder.

"Unfortunately my Floo is not up yet," Dumbledore began, rather disappointed so that he could not track to where Diablos lived. It would make a lot of things easier if the headmaster decided to take Harry against his will from the red-eyed man.

"It's quite alright," Severus said, knowing Diablos would never allow Harry to go from that fire-place anyway. "We'll go to Hogsmeade."

"Alright. I will see you both later at dinner."

The four left the headmaster alone, allowing him to smile widely. He was hoping it had been something very painful and disastrous that had happened to that bloody man. Maybe even enough so that Diablos had accidently… died.

-

Harry was surprised when Severus pulled him close and Apparated as quickly as they got away from the wards. He opened his eyes and saw they were just outside the wards of Malfoy Manor. Severus stepped through, Harry following. They entered and Lucius came out in the hall.

"Severus? Harry?" he asked in confusion.

"We are going to use your Floo, Lucius," the potions master said smoothly, not going to use the Floo from Hogsmeade either. Who knew what the old fart to headmaster would come up with if he did? "Something happened to Diablos."

The blonde man paled a bit before following them to the living room. He called a house-elf and told it he would be going away for a little while. He then took the Floo powder and stretched it out for Harry.

"You go first," he said.

Harry took some of the powder, threw it into the fire and stepped inside while saying:

"Potter Manor, Florence."

-

He got out and ran out from the living room, not even hearing Severus and Lucius getting there after him. He ran up the stairs and saw Diablos' bedroom door was open. Salerna stepped through it, into the hall, and spotted the child. His eyes widened in surprise and he hardly had time to catch the boy as Harry ran up to him and wrapped his arms around the man's chest. The raven-haired boy did not even care that Salerna's robes smelt faintly of blood or that it was small spots of blood in Salerna's white hair.

"It's okay," Salerna whispered to the boy, squeezing his shoulders. "He's sleeping right now, but he's gonna be okay."

"What happened?" Harry whispered.

"Ever heard 'old wounds never really heal'?" the white-haired man said.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"Overuse of healing magic created seizures. It acted against him."

"What healing magic? Some old wound or what?" Harry asked, looking up at Salerna's not so dry eyes. The man had cried. Had it really been that bad, if it had reduced the normally strong man to tears?

"He had a black curse imbedded in his own body, after an attack," Salerna said, having heard the story behind the wound from the beginning from a very sleepy Diablos. "His healing magic has been on nonstop for over twenty years. Today it nearly killed him."

Harry's eyes widened, and so did Lucius' and Severus' as they had listened. Salerna smiled weakly and said:

"Ramina was here, she helped with dragging the curse out. She told me he was not going back to work for at least two weeks."

"Two weeks?" the boy said, shocked. His uncle had not been sick from work for more than one day in the past!

"Harry, normal people would die of overusing their healing magic after this long. If they had survived, they would most likely be in a coma for two weeks and having to recover for months," Salerna said. "We're lucky to have someone as special as Diablos, right?"

The boy nodded, wide-eyed.

"Well, I won't stop you from seeing your uncle any longer," Salerna said. "I need to have a talk with Dora; she's too scared to come up here, thinking he's already dead."

Harry let the man go, making him promise to get Dora up there and walked into the bedroom.

Diablos was lying on his back, his skin deathly pale, dark rings underneath his eyes and his chest rising slightly for each breath. He was dressed in a black shirt and the covers tucked over him to the middle of his chest. His hair lay limp against the pillows and Harry stepped closer. The man did not move as the boy sat down. Harry crawled over to where his uncle was lying and cuddled close. He moved around, both himself and the man, until he was comfortable and he was sure Diablos was as well. He felt a hand on his back and peered up at Lucius. The man smiled a bit and said:

"You want to be alone?"

"It's okay," Harry said. "You guys can stay."

Severus sat down in a chair next to the bed but Lucius stayed where he was. He shrugged off his robe and laid it at the end of the bed while Harry let his fingers drag through his uncle's hair. As if knowing he had visitors, Diablos took a deep breath and moved slightly. The three stopped their movements, watching the man like hawks. The red eyes opened slowly and the man lifted his head weakly. He felt a warm weight against his chest. Wait, when had he turned to his side? He fell asleep on his back, and that could not have been that long ago, could it?

"Dia."

The small voice of his nephew made Diablos recognize the warm weight and he looked down. Harry's wide eyes looked back at him.

"Harry?" he said, confused. His mind was blurry and therefore he did not know why Harry was there.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" the boy hissed. "You hear me?!"

Diablos had to think what he had done to scare Harry but remembered what had happened only moments after Harry had called through the mirror. If he had not answered, he would probably be dead by now.

"I'm sorry," the man said, slowly bringing an arm to lie around his nephew. His limbs felt pleasantly heavy, and the aspect of going to sleep hovered over him. He blinked owlishly and tried to rouse himself by getting up.

Lucius and Harry stopped him. The blonde man pushed him back against the pillows and said:

"You're not going anywhere for a while."

For some reason, Diablos was glad the man had pushed him back. He sank back into the warmth of the bed and closed his eyes again. His thin hand found Harry's head and stroke the black hair lightly, combing it out. His actions told the three he was definitely half-asleep as he would never do that in front of them normally. Nonetheless, Harry shifted closer and carefully rested his head against the man's shoulder. He was going to take any chance to cuddle with the man, however weak it may be and especially now when Diablos seemed to want someone close.

Salerna came into the room, dragging the house-elf after him. He was having some troubles moving forward, so strong was Dora. Severus and Lucius each lifted an eyebrow.

"Harry," the white-haired man ground out. The boy looked at him. "Remind me to tell Diablos he got himself a too bloody stubborn house-elf."

The two men rose up to leave Salerna, Harry, Diablos and Dora alone for a little while. After some hesitation, Harry sat up and watched the potions master gently close the door. Salerna let go of Dora, and the house-elf made ready to disappear to the kitchens again.

"Stay!" the raven-haired boy said and she froze. No matter how stubborn she was, Dora listened once Harry and Diablos used a certain tone with her. Harry looked at her for a long time and then continued with a softer tone, "He's not dead, Dora. Come here and take a look for yourself."

The house-elf looked up at Harry, her hands twisting together. Harry patted the spot next to him and did not notice when Salerna stepped out of the room. He felt Diablos shift slightly on the bed and the movement was not unnoticed by the terrified house-elf. Dora swallowed and carefully climbed up on the bed. The boy smiled at her and took a hold of his uncle's hand. He then pulled Dora's hand forth and laid hers upon Diablos'.

The man opened his eyes and looked at the two. Dora's lower lip quivered. Then she gave out a wail and fell on top of the man. Diablos' eyes widened slightly but he did not push her off.

"Master can never, ever do anything like that ever again!" she shouted. "Never, never, never! Bad master!"

Diablos still looked slightly confused and soon his face showed his exhaustion, so Harry pulled her away gently.

"Uncle Dia needs to sleep now," he told her. "How about you get the rest of us some breakfast?"

She nodded, still teary-eyed. She wiped her eyes with her hands and jumped off the bed. She hurried out of the room and Salerna looked inside.

"It's okay," Harry said. "You guys can come in."

Diablos muttered something and slowly turned to his belly. Harry brought the blankets up around him and made sure his uncle was comfortable. Within minutes, the red-eyed man had fallen asleep again.

-

Harry was reluctant to leave his uncle again but followed Severus without complaint to the fire-place before dinner. Salerna stopped the boy from going and said:

"I'm going to make Ramina write a letter to Dumbledore."

"What for?" he asked, bewildered. Lucius and Severus watched the white-haired man.

"She said Diablos would need help if he wanted to get better," the man replied. "She said the most important people are their own family. You are his family, and the one he responds best to. Therefore it's better if you are as much as can be spared with him."

Harry's smile was almost as bright as the sun.

-

"Was Diablos okay?"

Harry looked up at Hermione, Pansy and Draco as they sat down at the Slytherin table at dinner.

"He will be," Harry replied. "He just needs to rest for a little while."

The three children seemed relieved, both for Harry's sake and for Diablos'. They all liked the man.

"I maybe get more time with him if Salerna gets his will through," the boy continued.

"Really?" Hermione asked. "How come?"

"The healer, Ramina, said that for the best recovery he needed his family, which means me," the emerald-eyed boy said with a smile. "He will be okay even if only Salerna visits, but you know Salerna. If he wants something, he won't stop until he gets it."

-

Dumbledore seethed when he saw the letter. How dare they?! Diablos did not need Harry for his recovery! He wanted to bang his head into the desk, burn the letter and most of all, burn that damned owl!

How they had gotten Hedwig from England to Italy and then back to England again was a mystery. But now the white owl sat there and stared at him, apparently ready to nip his fingers bloody if he did anything but accept.

He had no choice but to comply with the healer's orders. If he refused, he would have a lot more trouble than he could handle at the moment.

-

**The next day**

Diablos ignored Salerna's calls from the other side of the bedroom door. The bed was comfortable, it was warm, he was sleepy and he wanted to sleep some more. So the conclusion was; lock the door, bury one's head underneath a pillow and wait until Salerna got sick of calling.

Unlucky for Diablos, his locking spell was too weak and Salerna got inside. He chuckled lightly at the sight of the man curled up on the bed and said:

"Come on, healer's orders. It's near lunch, and I want you to come with me downstairs for it."

"Leave me alone," Diablos moaned. "I want to sleep."

"You've slept all since Harry left yesterday, skipping dinner and breakfast! No, no more sleeping for you!"

Diablos was gently lifted into a sitting position. He opened his eyes groggily and looked at the white-haired man. Salerna smiled softly at him and continued:

"Just downstairs, okay? I'll help you."

The red-eyed man considered this for a little while, and finally gave in. The air in the room was getting a bit humid anyway. Salerna helped him standing up, but once he let go of the younger man Diablos' legs buckled underneath him. The white-haired man quickly caught Diablos and said:

"Well… that seems to decide I should not let you walk on your own."

Diablos glared at him half-heartedly.

"You know, Ramina and I got our will through with Dumbledore."

"What will?" Diablos asked as they slowly made their way out of the room, the younger man's arm draped across Salerna's shoulder and Salerna's arm around his waist.

"That Harry will spend the weekend here with you," the white-haired man said.

Diablos looked at him with wide eyes.

"What? She was the one to suggest it!" Salerna said. "I was merely the one who made it happen."

The red-eyed man shook his head at the white-haired one and began walking again. Soon they came down the stairs, and Diablos was now really tired from the effort. He was almost hanging onto the white-haired man but Salerna did not let him go. Instead the older man almost dragged the other one from the stairs to the dining room. Salerna helped him down onto a chair and pushed the hair back, combing out the worst of it. The raven-haired man rested against the chair tiredly before Dora showed up with a light lunch. He looked at the food and his stomach reminded him he was hungry indeed. Despite his hunger though, Diablos only managed a third of what was on the plate before his body said no. Salerna was just happy the man had an appetite at all.

-

Harry nearly skipped down the halls once he found out he was going to spend the weekend with his uncle. He was grinning all day, making his friends laugh at his cheerfulness.

"What are you happy about, Potter?"

Harry turned around and looked at Ron. The boy sneered and was flanked by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Harry cursed himself for telling his friends to go before him for dinner; if he had been with them, Ron would never have gotten the courage to approach him.

"None of your business," the boy replied and turned to walk away.

"You little--!"

"Mr Weasley!"

Ron dropped his wand, that moments before had been ready to shoot a curse at Harry, and turned to stare at Flitwick. Harry did as well. The short professor looked coldly at the redheaded Gryffindor and said to Harry:

"Hurry up to the Great Hall, Harry."

"Yes, professor," Harry said, hid his grin at the scared look Ron had, and skipped off. Flitwick had to fight off a smile; that boy was definitely the opposite of his uncle.

-

"Hi," Bill said as he took off his outer robe.

"Yo," Salerna said.

"What are you doing here? Don't you have a class?"

"Lunch break. What about you; shouldn't you be warding something really important since you work for the oh so wonderful Gringotts, Mr Warder?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," Bill said at the sarcastic question about warding. "I have lunch break as well. Where is he?"

"In his room," the white-haired man said. "I was going to get him."

"Can he walk on his own?" the redhead asked as he stretched his arms above his head. Salerna shrugged and replied:

"Pretty much. It's only been three days since it happened. He's made a huge progress already."

"Master!"

Dora's surprised shriek made the two turn around. She had dropped the cloth she had been using to dust off the paintings and now stared at the stairs in shock. The two men were a bit surprised as well.

Diablos walked down slowly, having one hand on the wall in case he would loose balance and his eyes on his feet so he would not misstep. He was dressed in black jeans and a red shirt; Muggle clothes that he had bought earlier when Harry insisted. The man looked up and saw the three look at him. He scowled and said:

"I'm not an infant; I can actually walk on my own."

"Infants don't overuse their healing magic until the verge of death!" Salerna snapped.

"Are you still angry about that?!"

"How can I not be?!"

"I couldn't help it!"

"And you want me to believe THAT?!"

Bill looked on as the two argued despite the distance. Diablos stopped walking suddenly, his eyes widening, and quickly sat down on the steps. He leaned forward and Salerna felt bad immediately. The two hurried up and Bill kneeled down.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Diablos replied, dragging a trembling hand across his face. "Got a bit shaky, that's all."

The two helped him up and he got help the last few steps. He brushed off their hands and began walking to the dining room, three sets of eyes eyeing him worriedly.

After the lunch Diablos looked at the two. Bill had gotten Salerna dragged into a conversation about warding and they were talking happily with each other. Diablos did not feel left out of it though; he instead wondered what to do. His mind was restless and he was not up for going back to his room and sleep again until dinner. He wanted to read something.

That decided, he rose up carefully. The two stopped talking and turned to him.

"Are you going back up?" Salerna asked.

"No," Diablos replied. "I'm going to the library for a little while."

"The library?" Salerna asked.

"Or the living room," Diablos agreed and tilted his head. "It depends on where I collapse first."

"Your condition is not to joke about," Salerna said.

"I wasn't joking," Diablos said with a straight face as he walked out. The looks he received told him they did not believe him. The red-eyed man ignored them and walked on. He made it to the library, barely, and all but fell onto the couch. He took one of the books from the table in front of him, made himself comfortable and opened to the first page.

-

"Since when did we have a whirlwind in our room?" Theodore asked Draco, confused as he stood at the door. The blonde boy sighed from his spot on his bed and replied:

"Ever since Harry realized Severus is going to pick him up in a half-hour and he hasn't packed."

"It's not funny!" Harry said, making them laugh. "I just said it wasn't funny!"

Theodore moved inside and closed the door, still chuckling. Harry growled at them and returned to his bag. It was Friday, and he was soon going to Florence and his uncle again. He was currently trying to decide what he should bring with him. He packed all the books he needed for his homework first and then considered a set of clothing. He took it back though as he knew he had more than enough clothes at home.

He calmed down a bit and sat down.

"What, the whirlwind finished already?" Theodore asked, grinning.

"Shut up!"

-

"You ready?"

Harry bounced up and down in front of Severus, telling the potions master he was more than ready. Severus raised an amused eyebrow at the boy and then turned to walk out. Harry said goodbye to the two boys and then ran after the man.

"I will not stay with you this time," the man said as they walked up to the Entrance Hall. Harry had said goodbye to all of his friends so he did not need to make any stops. "I will come for you on Sunday evening though. We will go through Malfoy Manor, alright?"

"Okay," the boy said. "Shouldn't we go to the headmaster and tell we're off?"

"Already did it," Severus said. "He was a bit put off that you weren't there with me, and I fully enjoyed his misery."

"That's so like you, Severus," the boy chuckled.

They left the grounds as the sun began to descend. Severus wrapped an arm around the boy and Apparated. They arrived at Malfoy Manor and walked up to it. Severus entered and Lucius met them in the hall. The two men began to talk as Severus let Harry travel through alone with a last reminder what time the boy was going to be picked up.

-

Harry straightened up from his trip and was overjoyed when his first sight was on his uncle, who sat Indian-style on the couch and was reading a book. He was dressed in black, tight jeans, a white T-shirt and over that a blood red shirt with the last two buttons undone. His uncle looked quite good Muggle-dressed, Harry concluded. Diablos looked up and smiled when he saw his nephew.

"Have you eaten anything?" he asked the boy as he slowly but surely got up.

"No," Harry said. "I thought I would wait until I got here."

"Salerna said dinner would be ready in a few minutes, so you're just in time."

Harry nodded and dropped his bag on the couch. He wrapped his arms around his uncle and hugged the man tightly. Diablos' chest rumbled as he chuckled, and he brought his own arms around the boy.

"Is it now I should say that I missed you too?" the man asked with a smile.

"Idiot, of course it is!"

Diablos' chuckles became a laughter and Harry looked up at him. It was rare for the man to laugh, so he treasured the sound. The red eyes were warm, and the man dropped a kiss against his forehead.

"Dia, I think you are half-asleep," the boy said.

"I'm not," the man retorted.

"You are."

"Am not."

"Yes, you are," Harry said with a grin. "When I say so, it is so!"

Diablos shook his head and went to put the book back. It pained Harry to see his uncle move so slow, like each step caused him pain. The man rested a bit once he had put the book back and then turned to Harry.

"Mind helping me to the dining room?" he asked. His face was covered in a thin layer of sweat. "I don't think I will manage on my own."

"How long have you been up today?" the boy asked suspiciously.

"Since breakfast."

"Isn't that a bit too much, Dia?"

"I don't know."

Harry went over to the man and let him lean onto his smaller frame. The walk from the living room to the dining hall was too long for Diablos and he steadied himself against the doorway into the dining room. His breathing was laboured and he held a hand against his chest. Harry watched him worriedly before looking around for Salerna.

The man came down the stairs and saw the two.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he hurried forward.

"I think he's in pain," the boy said.

Salerna swore a bit and plucked a bottle from his robes.

"Pain reducer," he explained to the boy. "Second dose."

"Today??"

"No, he had one yesterday. Too bloody stubborn to admit something hurts; I had to pry his mouth open and force him to swallow it yesterday."

Salerna coaxed the younger man to open his mouth and swallow the potion, which was easier said than done. But he succeeded, and soon Diablos relaxed as the pain disappeared. Salerna took a hold of him and led him into the dining room.

"After this, you are going to bed, and no excuses," the white-haired man said sternly to the raven-haired one. Diablos did not complain.

Harry sat at the chair to the right, and Salerna took the seat to the left. Diablos looked at the right and then turned to the left.

"Why are you sitting so close to me?" he asked, confused.

They both dead-panned.

-

"No!"

"Don't make it any harder than it already is!"

"I will not do it!"

"I will make you do it!" Salerna shouted.

"No!" Diablos shouted right back. "I can walk just fine!"

"No, you can't!"

Diablos was ready to scream some more when the white-haired man growled and dragged the chair away from the table. Diablos yelped at the sudden movement, and Salerna placed an arm under the raven-haired man's knees. He draped one across Diablos' shoulders and effortlessly lifted the man up. Harry rose up as well and said:

"I'm just gonna get my bag, then I'll join you two."

"Do so," Salerna said with a smile.

"Put me down now!" Diablos said.

"Nope!" the older man replied cheerfully.

Diablos was too tired to put up more of a fight and became limp in the man's arms. Salerna carried him upstairs and Dora appeared once they were in Diablos' bedroom. She tugged the covers down so Salerna could lay Diablos down.

"Dora will come up with some tea for master and master white-hair," she said and popped away. Salerna groaned and said:

"She still doesn't call me by name!"

"Shut up white-hair," Diablos yawned and stretched. "I'm tired."

"No kidding," Salerna said. "I go to work one day and you manage to exhaust yourself. That's it; my students will have to do the classes without me next week."

"Not that helpless," the raven-haired man snapped.

"No, but that reckless," the white-haired man replied. He dragged off Diablos' boots and continued, "You wish to sleep in your clothes or change into something more comfortable?"

"What do you think, stupid?"

"Fine, fine… ehh, let's find some more comfortable clothing."

"You can always conjure my clothes into something better," Diablos said dryly.

"You know me and Transfiguration," Salerna said with a nervous laugh. "We don't work well together."

"Aah, that's right. Alright, don't you dare try conjuring my clothes."

"My point exactly. Now, what do you wish to wear?"

Diablos found strength to sit up and looked over to his wardrobe where Salerna was at the moment.

"Anything that won't annoy me," Diablos muttered and then fell back as his strength disappeared as quickly as he had found it. Salerna came back with some clothes over his arm. Dora popped in with a tray and put it down. On it was three tea-cups with steaming tea, a sugar-pot and some biscuits.

"Thank you, Dora," Diablos said tiredly. "Harry coming up?"

"Should be here any minute, master," she replied. "Anything else master needs Dora for?"

"No, thank you," the red-eyed man said. "Salerna is sleeping here at the Manor tonight, so shut off the Floo for me and put out whatever light that isn't necessary."

"Yes master," she replied and popped away.

Harry knocked and entered a few moments later. Salerna put down the clothes next to Diablos and said to the boy:

"Should we leave your uncle alone for a bit so he can redress?"

"I can put my bag in my room," Harry said and Salerna followed him.

Diablos shook his head and slowly moved to change clothing.

-

When the two entered a few minutes later, Diablos' eyes were half-lidded and the covers covered his legs. His head rolled over so he could look at them but they saw he was tired.

Harry climbed into the bed and tucked his uncle in. Diablos watched him and then closed his eyes. The red-eyed man was mildly surprised when Harry gently pressed a kiss to his temple.

"Go to sleep, Dia," Harry said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Diablos nodded drowsily and did just that while Harry and Salerna drank the tea Dora had come up with; nothing made by that house-elf was to be let untouched or else she was going to bring hell down on them.

-

Harry woke up and looked up at the ceiling. Remembering where he was, he tossed the blankets aside and ran from his room, a grin on his face. It was only a weekend, but it was enough. He bolted into his uncle's room and saw Diablos was still asleep.

He checked the time and saw it was half past seven. Harry snickered and bounced up on the bed. The man woke up with a startled yelp and Harry laughed. Diablos groaned once he saw who it was and said:

"You horrible brat, leave me alone."

"Never!" the raven-haired boy declared. He nestled himself in between the covers and the mattress and settled in against Diablos' chest. A sleep-warm arm draped itself over his shoulders and the red-eyed man muttered something before falling asleep again.

Harry snickered again and trapped his uncle to him before doing the same.

-

Salerna woke them up around nine with a gentle shake. Diablos blinked his eyes open and the white-haired man smiled while the boy continued to sleep.

"Morning, sunshine," Salerna said cheerfully only to be awarded with a growl. "Need any help getting up?"

"No," Diablos sneered, hating to feel this weak.

"Alright, alright… just asking."

The raven-haired man got up carefully and settled Harry down again. He rose up slowly only to feel a sharp pain in his chest. He gripped the bed-post and gasped. Salerna was there before he could protest and he had to admit it did not feel as bad as he expected, having to rely on someone else.

"You are too stubborn for your own good," Salerna pointed out as he helped Diablos to the bathroom. "Ramina said a bath would do your body good, so why not start with that?"

"I don't have a good bathtub for that."

"Sure you have. It's big enough for like seven people! It's like a bubble pool!"

Diablos frowned. He then looked at Salerna and said:

"Really?"

"You don't know your own bathroom?!" Salerna whispered rather loudly, not wanting to shout and wake Harry up. He was doing a poor job of it though.

"Apparently not."

Salerna shook his head and opened the bathroom door.

"See? Bubble pool-sized bathtub right there."

Diablos looked and his eyebrows rose.

"Well, I'll be damn," he said, a bit of surprise evident in his voice. "I never noticed that."

"Dia? Salerna? What are you guys doing?"

They turned to see a sleepy Harry walk towards them, rubbing his eyes.

"Diablos is going to take a bath," Salerna said.

"A bath?" Harry asked. "You are never in the bathroom long enough for a bath, Dia."

"Apparently healer's orders," Diablos replied as he moved away from Salerna. "Good for my body according to her although I fail to see how."

"She has a point," Harry muttered. "Baths are good from time to time. Well, I'm going to get ready. See you in a bit."

Diablos looked at Salerna after Harry had left and said:

"Are you going to watch me have a bath?"

"Erm, no."

"Then leave."

The white-haired man stuck out his tongue and nearly skipped out of the room. Diablos sighed at his friend's cheerfulness and began removing his clothing after beginning to fill the bathtub.

-

Harry moved into the room ten minutes later, dressed and freshened up. He peeked into the bathroom and the sight made him smile slightly.

Apparently Salerna had not been able to keep himself out of it all, and was now washing Diablos' hair carefully. Diablos himself let the man as he kept most of his body in the warm water.

"Why do you insist on washing my hair?" Diablos asked, annoyed as Salerna began rubbing in shampoo.

"Because cleaning spells only cleans to a certain level. Your hair hasn't been washed properly since Monday."

Diablos sighed and gave in, letting the man do as he wished.

Harry stepped inside and the red-eyed man looked up at him. He grimaced and looked up at Salerna. Harry found himself giggling lightly at his uncle's behaviour.

"Run along and tell Dora we are ready for some breakfast," Salerna said with a grin.

Harry mock-saluted before sprinting out of the room. Salerna gently rubbed Diablos' temples and grinned wider in triumph as the raven-haired man let out a low groan of satisfaction.

-

The red-eyed man was much more energetic than the previous day, and the day was mostly spent in the library. Harry was finishing his homework while Diablos had moved to the second floor and did whatever amused him. He was once more dressed in Muggle clothing, the same jeans from the day before along with a dark blue sweater.

A startled yelp brought Harry and Salerna up from their books. They looked at each other before getting up and going to the second floor.

Diablos sat on his bum, his legs on each side of him. He looked up at them and said while cocking his head to the side:

"It seems like my legs gave out on me. I didn't expect it."

"What do you mean your legs gave out?" Salerna asked suspiciously.

"They folded underneath me," Diablos said slowly, as if explaining to a child, "therefore the phrase 'gave out on me'. Is that good or bad you think?"

"I don't think that can ever be passed as something good," Harry dead-panned.

Salerna muttered under his breath as he stalked forward and effortlessly got Diablos up. The raven-haired man stood shakily and said:

"I don't think I will try walking down the stairs unless I wish to break my neck."

"Smartest move you've ever had this week," Salerna said. He easily picked Diablos up, much to the red-eyed man's discomfort and got downstairs, Harry in tow.

-

Diablos' strength returned to him soon enough but he seemed perfectly fine on the couch, as long as he had a book to read. Harry and Salerna had moved over to play some chess, and after a few battles they became hungry. The raven-haired boy turned to ask his uncle if he was any hungry but stopped. Salerna looked over as well.

The red-eyed man had fallen asleep. One of his arms was curled underneath the pillow on which he rested his head on; the other one nestled near his chest. The blanket around him was drawn to his chin and he looked like he was prepared to sleep all day.

"Has he been this way all week?" Harry asked.

"Pretty much," Salerna said. "His energy comes and goes. Ramina thought it would start balancing within two weeks, but I'm not so sure he should be returning to work directly after that."

"You know Dia," the boy said. "He won't let a healer's order and you stop him."

"Too true, too true," Salerna muttered. "Well then, shall we get some lunch in here? With some luck, we will be able to get some nutrient potions in him at the very least."

-

"I don't want to leave."

"I know you don't want to and I know I don't want to, but you have school," Diablos said.

Harry groaned in frustration and sat down on the bed.

"It's okay," Diablos said. "Who knows, maybe Dumbledore will let us come again at Halloween?"

"Maybe," Harry said. "But you're gonna be okay now, right?"

"I will be, don't worry," the man said. They were currently in the man's room, Diablos lying on the bed with Harry sitting next to him. Salerna had gone home to have some time with Cissi, promising to return on Monday afternoon.

"Call on Salerna, or Ramina, or anyone if something happens," Harry said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah," Diablos said and rolled his eyes. "I will. It's not like anything will happen in a day."

"What if your legs give up on you again?" Harry challenged.

"Then I believe Dora will be more than happy to help me to the bed again," Diablos replied. "Don't worry, Harry; worrying is my job. You are just a child."

"With an uncle who seems to love to scare the shit out of his nephew," the boy argued.

Diablos stuck out his tongue at the boy and Harry growled. Sometimes his uncle could act to immature, but luckily those moments were not long.

Severus knocked on the door, startling them both. Harry sighed and hugged his uncle one last time.

"I'll speak to you later," the boy said and flashed the two-way mirror to Diablos. The man smiled and showed his own.

"It won't be far from me," Diablos promised. "And don't worry so much about me."

"You nearly died, Dia."

"But I'm not dead, and soon I will be able to terrorize my lazy students again."

"Oh, they must be dying for that moment," Harry said dryly and rose up. "Don't overdo anything!"

"How the hell am I supposed to do that when I'm confined to a bed?!" Diablos shouted after him as both Harry and Severus laughed.

He felt as the two left through the Floo. He called on Dora.

"Yes, master?" she said.

"I don't want any visitors through the Floo," Diablos said tiredly and rubbed his face. "Shut off the Floo and shut off the lights."

"Master will be having dinner, right?" she asked sternly.

"Merlin, when one goes in comes another one," the man huffed. "Yes I will be eating dinner here."

"Dora will bring dinner to master in a few minutes," she said and popped away.

Diablos stared up at the ceiling and sighed. Somehow, he had a feeling that this was not going to be a calm year for either him or Harry.

* * *

Tbc…

Alright, I kinda decided to do this thing instead of what I promised. Hopefully no one complains. -sheepish smile-

Chapter 19: The second week of Diablos' recovery and his return to his job. Maybe the next chapter will stretch all until what I promised would show up in this chapter but I'm not sure. We'll see.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	20. Chapter 19

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Hiya everyone! Beware of strange-mooded Diablos in part of this chapter but don't worry; he will not be that for long.

Thanks for all the reviews and I proudly present chapter nineteen to you, my dear readers! Enjoy!

-

**Chapter Nineteen**

"Hi Harry!"

Harry looked up to see Draco, Hermione, Padma, the Weasley twins and Neville run up to him. Severus squeezed his shoulder and went on his way. Hermione and Padma practically threw themselves over him and nearly hugged the life out of him.

"You're choking me!" Harry got out and the two girls released him, quite embarrassed.

"How's your uncle?" the twins asked simultaneously.

"A bit annoyed over the whole ordeal, and doesn't really get why me and Salerna are so worried about him," Harry said and rolled his eyes. "For being so smart, he really has his stupid-moments."

"Well, he's alive and walking around," Hermione said. "That's all that matters for the moment, right?"

"Yeah. He needs another week before his magic is balanced out again, then he should be much better," Harry said. "Knowing him, he will probably be teaching soon again."

"Can't you like lock him into the bedroom until he is fully healed?" Draco asked.

"You think that will work?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow. "He would destroy the door and hunt us down to kick our asses."

"True," the blonde boy muttered.

-

"Damn brat for being right…"

Diablos tried to get up on his own but his legs failed to cooperate with him and he fell back. He had just sent Dora to prepare breakfast after a surprisingly good sleep, and thought he would be fine.

Apparently not. He was now sitting on the floor like a fool with nothing to drag himself up with. He dragged his hair in frustration and weakly hit a fist into the floor. He hated this feeling of weakness, but he was damn not going to start crying over it!

He shook his head as his eyes burned, trying to think of something else than the fact he was sitting on the floor because he was too weak to stand up but it helped little. Ramina had warned him about it; his emotional levels were unbalanced as well, so he could start crying for no reason or laugh for something that had no point.

He moved so he was lying down and tears began to spill out. His shoulders shook and he kept thinking he had to stop before Dora came back up. But his tears refused to stop, and he curled up as much as he could, his heart in misery.

"Master?"

Dora's hands settled on his shoulders but Diablos hardly noticed the house-elf. He was turned to his back and spindly arms took his head before gently pressing it against a thin chest. He looked up with blurred eyes at the house-elf who began stroking his hair. She did not speak, and for that he was grateful.

-

"Hi, Dora. Did something happen while I was gone?"

The house-elf looked up at Salerna and said:

"No, master white-hair. Nothing has happened."

"Where's Diablos? The library?"

"Master wished to sleep. Master is in bedroom."

Salerna thanked her and went upstairs. Dora felt bad for not telling what had happened that morning, but Diablos had asked her not to tell anyone.

The white-haired man opened the bedroom door and peeked inside. Diablos lay turned towards the door and his eyes opened slightly to look who it was.

"It's only me," Salerna said and stepped inside. "Have you been sleeping all day?"

"Almost," Diablos mumbled and closed his eyes again. "It's cold…"

"Cold? It's fucking hot here," Salerna said in disbelief.

Then he noticed the raven-haired man was shivering. He sat down on the bed and settled a hand on Diablos' arm. The skin was cool, despite the temperature inside the room.

Had Ramina mentioned anything like this? Salerna tried to think of all she had said, for she had said a lot, and after a while he dug the right information up. If Diablos were to have an emotional unbalance, his body could easily become weaker and succumb to cold easier. The bigger the unbalance was, the more his body would stop functioning.

Then hot rooms and warm beds did not help. Only another person's body heat helped. That was what Ramina had told him. Salerna sighed and looked at the man.

"You told Dora to not tell anyone, didn't you?" he asked.

Diablos looked at him, not speaking.

"Emotional unbalance," Salerna informed as he carefully climbed over the man and settled behind Diablos. "That makes your body weaker, and not to mention colder."

The red-eyed man felt an arm settle around his torso and drawing him closer to his friend. Salerna moved the sheets around a bit and then settled in.

"Can I open a window at least?" he asked Diablos. "You might be freezing, but I'm gonna die because of the heat soon."

"Do whatever you want," the younger man mumbled. Salerna's back felt nice, warm, and Diablos wondered what hell he was going to receive from the white-haired man later if he did what he wanted to do.

Deciding to not care about that at the moment, he began to turn. Salerna let him but watched him curiously. Soon Diablos was where he wanted to be and settled down.

"You're pretty bold when you're sick, did you know that?" the white-haired man said.

Diablos grunted softly and closed his eyes. Much better. The chest on which he was resting his head against rumbled as Salerna chuckled but he did not pay so much attention to it. Instead his body became limp and he could finally enjoy some sleep without feeling like he was naked in a snowstorm.

-

Harry closed the mirror and shook his head.

"You spoke to Salerna," Draco said. "Where was your uncle?"

"Asleep," Harry replied and looked at the blonde. "Apparently he's done that the whole day."

"Sleeping? I envy your uncle."

Harry laughed a bit and said:

"No, you don't. Dia's been sleeping because he's ill. You don't want to feel like he feels."

"No, of course not. But the sleeping part… I like that."

The raven-haired boy shook his head and continued with his Potions essay. He did not tell Draco of what Salerna had said first, before Draco had entered the dorm. Emotional unbalance had caused Diablos' need of sleeping, and was the reason why he clung to Salerna like it was no tomorrow. Salerna had tried to sternly say to the boy to not use this as black-mailing against his uncle, but Harry was probably going to use it anyway… along with Salerna. Poor Diablos, it was two against one.

Why the white-haired man had told him at all was because of the slim chance Diablos would have an emotional breakdown while they spoke through the mirrors. Harry was not sure what to do if it happened; it had been very few times he had seen his uncle sad or even hurt. The man usually tried to hide it.

-

Salerna began to wonder how long the emotional unbalance was going to last. It was Thursday already and Diablos was still shifting from happy to sad to angry to frustrated all the time. Right now the two sat in the living room, having just finished a game of chess.

Diablos sat on the couch, reading a book. He had been a pain to deal with that morning, only calming down when Salerna had held him close for a while (which was a shock itself but the white-haired man decided to not dwell on it), but now as lunch closed in the raven-haired man was in a much better mood. His magic had recovered a great deal but Salerna was not so sure the raven-haired man should go back to work on Monday already. Diablos, however, had not given him much to say. The man was going to the school on Monday, and the white-haired man just had to deal with it.

"Are you hungry?" Salerna asked after a little while of watching the younger man.

Diablos glanced up at him and then shook his head.

"You haven't eaten anything today," the man pointed out.

"Not hungry," Diablos mumbled. "Maybe later."

"Well, I'm hungry so I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Have fun," the red-eyed man said and waved absently.

Salerna did not like when Diablos stopped eating, especially now at a time like this, but could not do anything. He sighed and went out from the room.

Diablos looked on as the man left. He should eat… but he was not hungry. He had tried with breakfast, however, it came up the same way. Not very pleasant. So now he not up for eating anything.

Although a nutrient potion would not hurt… it would make his body, and Salerna, happy. Not to mention his very own self-proclaimed mother-figure and worried house-elf Dora. He decided and called on her. She showed up immediately.

"Would you mind retrieving a nutrient potion for me?" Diablos said. "My stomach is rebelling but I do think I can manage the potion."

"Yes, master. Dora will get it immediately!"

She popped away, apparently happy Diablos was not too keen to starve himself.

-

Harry was glad that Diablos did not have any breakdowns whenever they spoke, and he could tell his uncle was glad over that as well. Neither would have known what to do.

He was surprised when the two-way mirror was the thing that woke him up on Friday morning. He yawned and opened it.

"What do you want?" Harry mumbled to Diablos.

"I was restless."

"Restless?! Dia, have you even slept anything?! It's not even six in the morning!"

"I woke up at four and couldn't sleep," Diablos said and looked at his nephew. "Be glad I didn't wake you up then."

Harry sighed at the raven-haired man and then said:

"And? What makes you think talking to me will make you less restless?"

"Don't ask me! I didn't exactly have a two-way mirror so I could wake Severus or Lucius up and harass them!"

"Why not Salerna?"

"I have no wish whatsoever to be killed by him. I have to spend the whole day with him, remember."

Harry slumped down on the bed.

"Dia," he whined. "I'm tired."

"I can't sleep!"

"Have you tried everything?"

"As Muggle says, 'the whole nine yard'! It doesn't help!"

Harry sighed and put silencing spells up as he realized it would not be an easy match to make Diablos fall asleep. However, he man needed to sleep and therefore Harry was going to make the man fall asleep.

"Dia, lie back on the bed," Harry instructed, coming up with an idea that might just work. "Make yourself comfortable and let the mirror rest on the pillow next to you."

Confused, Diablos complied without much fuss.

"Comfortable now?"

"Yes, I believe so. What is this all about?"

"Relax, Dia. Don't ask anything, don't shift around… just relax and listen."

Diablos did so but had his head turned towards the mirror. He could see a bit of his nephew but had to strain his neck to get a better look. But Harry had told him to relax so he should not strain his neck.

He was startled when soft humming came from the mirror and then smiled. Harry did the same as Diablos sometimes do; humming on a song. It worked wonders when Harry could not sleep, and it seemed like either Harry took a chance or the boy knew it also worked wonders on his uncle.

Within minutes, Diablos began to feel very sleepy. He tried to tell Harry he was going to sleep but his mouth was too tired to form words. His eyes slid close and his breathing grew calmer. Within a few more moments, he was out as a light.

Harry smiled as there was nothing but calm breathing coming through the mirror. Satisfied, he closed the mirror and made himself comfortable to sleep a little while longer.

-

**Monday morning**

Normally Diablos Potter had a class on the morning but since he had been ill for two weeks the students of his class stood outside and chatted, believing he was still sick. They would catch up on what their friends had done during the weekend before going in and writing down the assignment they would do.

Diablos' eyebrow twitched. So Maria had not told them he was back. The man rose up carefully from his desk and opened the door. They did not notice him. A vein ticked. He hawked. No one noticed. He tried again, louder. Nothing. His eyebrow began twitching again. He took a deep breath while thinking, 'Calm down, calm down, they did not know you are healthy already, Diablos, calm down, calm down…' It did not help and his mood snapped.

"Good morning!" he shouted. Everyone froze and turned around slowly. Diablos stood with his arms crossed, dressed in the usual teaching robes. Irritation radiated from every core of his body, and most of the students gulped in fear. His eyes bore into them all, the blue colour giving way to bright red and he continued, "The classroom isn't standing here for fun, nor am I. Get inside NOW."

He turned around and walked back. Everyone stood still for a moment.

"What are you waiting for?! The class can't start without the students!" he shouted and the students shook themselves out of their shock and scrambled into the classroom. The man found himself surrounded by his students, all welcoming him back and one or two of the girls hugged him. He tried to calm them down when one of them asked the question everyone wanted to have an answer on:

"Are you alright now, professor?"

He looked at their worried faces, and quirked an eyebrow.

"Never been better," he said, mouth twitching into a small smile over their worry. "Now sit."

They did so and he looked at them for a while before looking down at some papers.

"Maria has given you assignments the two weeks I was gone," he said. "I looked over them yesterday and have only one thing to say."

They swallowed nervously.

"They suck," he commented, sounding awfully happy about it, and they all groaned. "So that's why I've planned this for homework this week."

He waved his hand and a chalk began to write on the black board. Their mouths dropped and eyes widened as when it was finished the black board was full with instructions. And it was no small black board. He turned to them and grinned.

'Oh no… he's got the evil face on,' they thought.

"And of course we will start this lesson with a test," Diablos said, his grin stretching wider.

"Eeh?!" they all shouted.

-

Salerna felt a shiver go up his spine and shuddered.

"Are you alright, professor?" one of his students said as he had stopped giving out instructions.

"Oh, I'm alright… question is if Diablos' students are alright."

"Eh?" they questioned. The white-haired man shuddered and said:

"I'm just glad I'm not a student… that man enjoys torturing his students' poor minds and hearts. You just wait; you have him later in the day."

Somehow, they felt as if this was not going to be a good day.

-

"Did you have loads of fun today?"

Diablos looked up at Salerna, blinking. The older man pointed his fork against the raven-haired one and said:

"I could feel that excitement of yours the whole bloody day. Did you torture their poor brains out?"

They were seated in the dining hall in Salerna's and Cissi's manor, eating dinner. Cissi giggled at Salerna's statement and looked terrible amused.

"Not… exactly torture," Diablos said and sipped some white wine. He looked at the glass for a while and said, "Torture without torture perhaps?"

"That didn't make sense at all!" Salerna shouted as his wife broke out in laughter.

-

Diablos straightened up as he came out from the fire and immediately shut the Floo. He leaned miserably against the hearth and wondered if he had overdone it a bit. His body was not fully recovered and yet he had worked as usual. Maybe it was a bit foolish of him to do that.

"Dora," he called out and she showed up immediately. "I'm going to bed now, so you're in charge of locking the manor tonight."

"Master can't do it?"

"Master is tired," Diablos said and slowly began walking, Dora following him.

"Does master require a potion?"

"No, I'm fine. I just need to sleep."

Dora looked at him defiantly and said:

"If master is fine, then why is master limping?"

Diablos groaned. 'Why is she so damn observant?'

He opened his mouth but found no words. He closed it again, and looked down at the house-elf. She quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Her normally wide eyes were narrowed as she glared up at him.

"Alright, I haven't fully recovered," he snapped. "That is why I'm going to bed early. Now will you let me be alone?"

"Dora will bring master a Dreamless sleep potion."

Before he could say anything, she popped away. His mouth slowly closed, his raised hand falling back to his side and while muttering about the stubbornness of house-elves, he limped upstairs.

-

"Ginny is nuts."

Harry looked at the Weasley twins after their statement, raised his eyebrows and asked:

"Why?"

"She is talking to herself, and has an imaginary friend," Fred said before taking a bit of his sandwich.

The three plus Draco, Hermione, Padma and Neville were seated outside on a Saturday in the middle of October, eating lunch. It was a chilly day, the ground had been covered in frost in the morning, but thanks to heated blankets and warming spells they did not feel cold. The sun shone on them as well and gave them some warmth.

"Maybe she's just lonely," Padma said.

"She had lots of friends before going to Hogwarts," George pointed out. "Now she won't even talk to them."

"What does she call her friend?" Harry asked.

"Tom I think," Fred said. "She says he's a genius in everything and is a very kind person."

Harry thought for a while. Was it usual when you created an imaginary friend that you took a person's qualities and changed them so they fit the fake friend? He frowned; he had to ask his uncle about it.

-

"Imaginary friends?" Diablos asked, confused. "I'm afraid I don't know what people think when they make them up, Harry."

"Damn…"

"Language."

"Yes, mother."

"Just because I let you call me dad you can't start calling me mother," the man warned and his nephew giggled.

"Sorry… well, it was worth a try."

"Who has an imaginary friend?"

"Fred and George's sister Ginny the nutcase as they call her."

"Oh? And her friend's name?"

"You are interested about this, aren't you?"

"No, I just love to give ammunition to Lucius for his forever-going argument with the Weasleys, twins and Bill excluded. Maybe Charlie as well."

"Has Bill spoken to Charlie?"

"A bit. Charlie is not interested in picking sides, but he doesn't like Dumbledore all that much. Forget about that; tell me what you know about her fake friend."

"Fine, ignore all the important things and go for the unnecessary," Harry said and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, giving Lucius ammunition is a very important task!" the man exclaimed.

"Whatever you say… well, Fred and George said she called him Tom, he was a genius in everything and a very kind person. Happy now?"

Diablos' heart stopped for a moment. His eyes hardened slightly but the look was gone before Harry could register it.

"Nothing more?" he asked, trying to sound light.

"Well, sorry, that's all they could find. Ginny isn't talking with anyone expect for her friend Tom. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing, just curious," the man said and waved his hand. "Well, should I tell Lucius that Ginny might be a nutcase or that she is plain crazy?"

"Isn't that the same thing?" Harry asked.

"Well, nutcase sounds nicer."

"Go with crazy; she sure looks like that."

"Yes, sir."

Harry laughed.

-

Diablos had his head in his hands long after Harry had finished the conversation with him.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid…" he whispered into his palms. "Stupid, _stupid _Lucius… I was hoping you hadn't done it… too soon, it's too bloody soon…"

He sat silent for a little while longer and then rose up abruptly. He went to the library and up the stairs. He was happy that his strength had returned fully to him and that his emotional levels had balanced out; he had felt enough of helplessness for years now.

He traced the books with his fingers and stopped by a black one with no title. It was in the older section where Harry never went. He claimed it was too boring books there and kept himself to the other parts of the library. For that, Diablos was happy. His nephew did not have to know about his secrets, not yet. He was only twelve, and Diablos was not going to tell anything before Harry was old enough to comprehend the truth. The man realized though Harry was going to be old enough within a year. Only one year…

The man shook his head violently; stop thinking depressing thoughts and start acting! He did not have all time in the world! He pulled the book out, determined and opened it. In it lay two two-way mirrors. He took them out and put the book back. He closed his eyes, focused and the mirrors in his hands shone up brightly, both of them giving up a screech.

-

**Australia  
****Four in the morning**

She woke up with a start as a mirror on the pillow next to her heated up, began to shine and gave out a screech. She looked on the time with blurry eyes and groaned, her hands over her ears due to the sound. She grabbed the mirror, opened and screamed:

"It's bloody four in the morning here, idiot! Don't you know the time difference between Italy and Australia?!"

"He's there."

Two words, barely three. It was a short sentence, and most people would not understand what it meant. But she did.

Her eyes widened. The sleepiness disappeared. She was not even mildly annoyed at the other person on the other side of the mirror.

"Do you have it confirmed?" she asked breathlessly.

"Pretty much. Same case."

"I'll be in Italy in twenty minutes."

"Take your time, Arsenic. I will not flee just because you're coming."

"Considering the other times I've come, I would be surprised if you actually were there."

"Shush you."

-

**Somewhere on Greenland  
****Five in the afternoon**

"I was eating dinner you know," the man said and raised an eyebrow to the other one in the mirror.

"Bah, I believe that whenever I want to. You don't have to eat, and you find it a hassle to get food."

"Now I was actually eating. No matter, you don't care much about that. Your reason for calling me through this particular mirror? We normally use a different one if I remember correctly."

"He's there."

Same sentence. Same reaction. Eyes widened, his hand dropping the fork. He all but forgot about the food.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes."

The man looked at the time.

"Give me twenty minutes."

"You are just like Arsenic, Odium."

"Don't compare me to that woman," Odium snapped.

"You two are so alike and still you won't admit it?"

"You will get back for that comment," the man growled. "Be ready to meet hell in twenty minutes."

"Oh, I'm so frightened."

-

Arsenic and Odium glared daggers at each other for a moment before huffing and turning the other way, their arms crossed. An amused Diablos watched them.

"You two argue all the time," he said as he walked up to them. "Knock it off now; there are more important things than your egos."

They tried to glare at him but were not very successful.

"How strange," he said. "It seems like your glares suddenly lost all that was intimidating about them."

"You know why," Arsenic growled.

"Oh, do I?"

She stomped her foot in the floor in frustration and suddenly hugged him tightly.

"You stupid little brother!" she said.

In the next moment, Odium's arms embraced them both. Diablos looked at the two and shook his head a bit.

"What should we do?" the woman asked. "To convince him?"

"That shouldn't be so hard for us," Diablos said.

"But if we tell the whole truth," she continued.

"That… might give us some troubles," the raven-haired man said. Odium snorted and said:

"You think?"

-

"Here."

Marcus looked up, startled, at Harry who was holding out some parchments for him. The teen accepted them and Harry sat down and grabbed some toasts. Marcus looked them over and his eyes slowly but surely widened. A fellow Quidditch player, Miles Bletchley, cocked his head curiously.

Marcus turned to Harry and said:

"Your uncle really outdid himself for me."

"No, no," Harry said and waved his hand. "I saw the first out-cast and forbid him to give it to you. He really doesn't know any limits."

"What do you mean?" Marcus asked as he moved after a bit along with the raven-haired boy to allow Draco slip down on Harry's other side.

"The material he wanted to give you was Auror-level," Harry said. "I hit him over the head and concluded he was out of his mind."

"Wait… when did he do this?"

"He started when I was there on the weekend," Harry said and shook his head. "Dia can't keep his hands away from his job even after an event like that. He had to rewrite it four times before it came to that one. Some of the books are NEWT-level but he won the argument by saying it didn't hurt to be prepared."

Miles stared at the raven-haired boy as did Marcus. He looked between the two and said:

"What?"

-

Last year it had been trolls. Harry felt a slight nervousness against Halloween but he had began to bounce where he sat when Dumbledore announced the Halloween dinner would be as last year; their parents or guardians were allowed to come.

"Take it easy," Blaise said with a laugh at the bouncing boy.

"I'm just happy," Harry replied.

"Yes, we can see that," Draco said, Hermione and Padma giggling at their friend's antics.

Blaise moved a bit closer to Harry to allow Theodore to sit down. The lonely Slytherin had warmed up quickly to Harry and slowly to Harry's friends. He was something of a charmer and liked to make Padma blush for some reason. The girl did not disappoint him; her cheeks grew red every time he gave her a compliment. Harry found him rather amusing.

Halloween was only two days away so he had to ask his uncle as soon as possible.

-

Odium and Arsenic were arguing with each other while Diablos looking back and forth at them, when he suddenly felt the mirror warm up. He tore his eyes from them and got the mirror up. He got annoyed with their quarrel; they had done nothing but arguing ever since they arrived but he could not have them being heard by his nephew. Successfully shutting them up with a glare, he opened the mirror and said:

"Evening, Harry."

They both froze where they sat, listening intently.

"Dia!" Harry shouted, excited. Diablos winced and said:

"A bit louder, Harry; I don't think Africa heard you."

"Haha, very funny," the boy said, rolling his eyes. "Guess what?"

"I have no idea?" the man said and tilted his head.

"It's Halloween soon, and guess what?"

"Hmm… you are going to send an army of ghosts at Dumbledore and make him choke on his lemon drops?"

"Not… exactly," Harry said, his eyebrow twitching. "No, it's the same as last year."

"And what happened then?" Diablos just had to ask, knowing it would piss his nephew off.

"Dia!"

The two watched their friend as he smiled. They had never really seen him like that before.

"So I'm guessing I just nicely have to get my ass over to England on Halloween then?" the red-eyed man asked.

"Correct!" Harry said. "If not, I'll ask Hedwig to punish you!"

"You will ask an owl to punish me?" the man asked in disbelief.

"She is good at it!"

"Too true, too true," Diablos muttered. "Well, what time should I come?"

-

This time the first guardian they met was Neville's grandmother. Augusta Longbottom seemed to be a strict woman, and they were a bit nervous on Neville's behalf since none of his friends were Gryffindors.

But she surprised them by shaking their hands with a warm smile, even to Draco. She then looked at them all in turn and said:

"Your parents haven't arrived yet?"

They shook their heads. Draco peered over at the crowds and said:

"But I think my mum and dad are coming now."

"My parents are with Parvati," Padma said and looked away.

"Hopefully mum and dad doesn't get lost," Hermione said and wrung her hands.

Harry looked as well, wondering. Most of the parents or guardians had arrived so why did theirs delay? Lucius and Narcissa may have had someone over; they almost always had. Hermione's parents were not used to the Wizarding World and could easily confuse themselves. Hopefully they had not gone lost.

Lucius and Narcissa got out from the crowds a few moments later and spotted them. The two adult Malfoys greeted Augusta and she did the same, although her smile was a bit strained. Lucius was after all rumoured to be a Death Eater.

"There come my parents!" Hermione said. "Thank Merlin they didn't get lost!"

Joanne and Greg were received with warm welcomes from all of them, and gave each child a hug after they had greeted on their daughter.

Fred and George had no real wish to go to their family but spotted Bill and deemed it safe. They waved goodbye and ran over to the flock of Weasleys, Bill purposely walking a bit behind them. He seemed to be mildly irritated all until the twins arrived.

"Where is Diablos?" Lucius said.

"What, didn't he come through Malfoy Manor?" Harry asked, surprised.

"No," the blonde man replied. "We had to leave immediately after our guests went though. He might have used it once we were gone."

Now Harry began to worry. The parents and children began to move inside. Neville and Augusta did the same, Neville waving to them.

"Should we got and get seats?" Joanne asked.

"I'll wait for him I guess," Harry said.

"No, we can wait with you," Draco said. "The feast isn't supposed to start before seven, and it's only six-thirty."

The emerald-eyed boy nodded and the Malfoys and Grangers began to chat amongst each other while Draco, Hermione and Padma tried to distract Harry from his worries.

Ten minutes before the feast was due to begin the doors opened. Harry looked up and saw Diablos enter hurriedly, a cloak thrown over his shoulder like he had been in a hurry. The boy ran up to him.

"Where were you?" he could not help but ask as he peered up at his uncle's face.

"I had visitors," Diablos replied. "Didn't manage to shake them off until ten minutes ago. I practically ran here."

The boy suddenly hugged him around the waist tightly and said:

"I thought… you wouldn't come."

"What, and miss teasing Dumbledore? Never!"

"What?" Harry asked, confused, and looked up at Diablos. The man's grin did not look promising.

-

"Tell me!"

"Nope," Diablos said. "It's a surprise. I see Lockhart has turned back."

"Yeah, it took a while," Harry said. "Now he's skittish to even touch anything."

"Has he followed you around ever since it happened?" Diablos asked.

"No, that's the best," the boy said.

Diablos nodded and Harry was drawn into a conversation with Draco and Hermione. Padma looked a bit alone; she had greeted her parents briefly but run back to the safety of her friends after receiving glares from her sister. Now Diablos looked at her and said:

"What's up with the gloomy face?"

"Nothing," she said with a strained face. "I just wished my sister wouldn't be so mean all the time."

"Is she mean to you?" the man asked.

She nodded.

"Why?"

"Because I always sit at the Slytherin table, and I'm always with Slytherins," Padma said and bowed her head. "She says I'm a traitor."

"Hey, don't listen to nonsense like that," Diablos said. "She doesn't realize what a great person you are."

Padma looked up at him.

"I am?" she asked.

"Sure you are. Why wouldn't you be? She is the mean one to not realize that."

She smiled for real and nodded. She turned to Hermione as the girl asked her something. Diablos turned back to his own food.

-

Diablos' so called teasing happened as Dumbledore raised his goblet to have a second drink. A large cloud of smoke surrounded him with a bang. They all whipped their heads towards him.

As it cleared, everyone was stunned for a few moments before most of them started to laugh. Out of Dumbledore's ears it sprouted long plants, and his beard was made of snakes. His robes were bright pink and he had a Muggle cowboy-hat on. He looked very confused, and Minerva had to turn around to not let them see her laughing. Her shaking shoulders gave her away though. Severus choked on his drink and laughed helplessly, his head on the table. Flitwick fell of his chair. Lockhart went pale, probably thanking Merlin it was not him. Some of the teachers tried to look angry but failed as they watched the rather amusing sight of their headmaster.

Harry turned wide eyes towards Diablos. He tried to look innocent. The boy did not fall for it.

-

Bill's sides hurt from his laughing and he had no problem whatsoever so face his mother's chilling looks. Ever since the summer, she had tried to punish him by not sending any letter or packages. He had seen it as a relief.

She had been enraged when he dared to show up, and he had told her he had showed up for the twins' sake. She had turned and tried to give them a piece of mind but Fred and George promptly dragged Bill a bit further away until they came to an empty spot. They had sat down and endured her looks ever since.

The twins were still laughing at the sight, and took out parchment and quill to write up the details for their own experimenting and planning of pranks.

"That hat is hilarious!" George got out. "I wonder who made this!"

Bill had a fair idea as he looked over at the Slytherin table. Diablos was trying to put up his innocent look, which meant those who knew him figured out quickly he was the guilty one.

Well, the redheaded man could not complain on the red-eyed man's sense of humour.

-

Dumbledore was shipped off to the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey tight-lipped to not burst into laughter. Minerva called back order in the hall, although she still looked terrible amused. Severus' lips were twitching, trying to fight off a smile. Flitwick hid his own smile behind his goblet.

-

Diablos excused himself to go to the bathroom during the dessert. He walked down the halls, lost in memories. Hogwarts was as beautiful as usual.

He took another step and it made a small splash. He looked down. Water. It was water on the floor. He frowned and looked around. His muscles tensed. Something was not right.

His eyes found the cat. His eyes widened. Mrs Norris was hanging upside-down, seemingly frozen. He looked on the wall; text written in blood. His thoughts went back to the Great Hall, mentally scanning over the Gryffindor table. His heart sank; she had left.

His eyes clenched shut; _it had begun_.

Tbc…

* * *

Chapter nineteen done! How much does Diablos really knows? And who is he, really? Questions you unfortunately won't get answers on until later. While I'm at it, I'm going to tell you how long I was going to write. I, as today, have planned to finish this story after Harry's third year as the climax will be then but I'm uncertain. Everything will be explained by the end of Harry's third year but do you wish to have this story continued or that it has a sequel? I'm up for suggestions, since I'm rather sad to realize this story will otherwise soon be at its end...

Chapter twenty: Up to Christmas. Maybe a bit of pranking, maybe a bit more of Odium and Arsenic… we'll see.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	21. Chapter 20

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Hiya! For those who want a sequel; you will get one! During Tuesday the 13th January I thought the sequel up in my head and my fantasy carried away a bit, which is a good sign. That means I'm really eager to do it.

And another reviewer asked if Diablos was evil, and if he was that evil Harry should get a proper family. I will tell you this; Diablos will not be THAT evil. But to find out the whole story about Diablos you will have to continue reading to the end because I will not tell a lot of details about him. That would spoil the story. But be patient; he will not try to hurt Harry in any way.

But first of all, the current story! Enjoy chapter twenty!

-

**Chapter Twenty**

Diablos waited for a minute or two before he heard hurried steps coming down the hall. He had sent a message to McGonagall that had only told her it was urgent. A moment later, several of the teachers came around the corner.

"What is it?" McGonagall asked as she was Deputy Headmistress and now in charge.

"Take a look," Diablos said and pointed. "Don't know about you, but that gives me a bit of a fright."

She turned to look at it and her eyes widened as she saw the message ón the wall as well as Mrs Norris.

"What?" she managed weakly. She turned to him and said, "Did you see who?"

"No, I was just walking down the hall when I stepped onto the water," Diablos said. "I looked up and saw the message and the cat."

"Well, we should get her down immediately," McGonagall said and took the cat down. She blinked and said in surprise, "She's stiff."

Filch, who had followed the teachers and completely broken down after seeing Mrs Norris, now looked up with tear-filled eyes. It was his beloved cat after all.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked her.

"She isn't dead," the stern teacher said. "She… she's been petrified."

"Petrified?" Filch said and looked at Mrs Norris in McGonagall's arms. "How do we fix her?"

"Haven't you started with Mandrakes with some of the classes?" the teacher asked Sprout. The woman nodded eagerly and said:

"Once they are fully grown, professor Snape can make the necessary potion to bring Mrs Norris back."

Lockhart looked slightly put out by the announcement that Severus was going to do it, and Diablos wondered the hell why he was. Was the man a supposed potions master as well among his many other so-called 'skills'?

Somehow, Diablos doubted it.

-

Harry hugged Diablos tightly and buried his head into the man's robes. The hall was packed with parents saying goodbye to their children but they had somehow gotten to a calmer place. Narcissa and Lucius said goodbye to Draco while Hermione hugged her parents. Padma was with her parents and Parvati. Diablos was not sure why Parvati was acting so stupid towards her sister, but came to think about himself and James and promptly did not think of either of the subjects. Instead he focused on his nephew.

Harry did not want Diablos to go back to Italy; he wanted the man with him. He was twelve years old and should have grown up at least a bit but it seemed he wanted to have his uncle closer the older he got. He did not know why but he had a nagging feeling something was going on.

Something that had to do with that message Diablos had told them about. _Enemies of the Slytherin heir, beware_. What did it mean?

The man patted Harry's shoulders and the boy reluctantly let go. The red eyes softened a bit and Diablos leaned down to place a soft kiss to the boy's temple before straightening up.

"Be careful now, and don't do anything I would do," the man said.

Harry rolled his eyes.

"I know, Dia, I'll be careful. But you can't stop us from pranking people."

"I see you are indeed James' son," Diablos said and shook his head. "And Sirius' godson, and Remus' honorary godson. At least they will be very happy about it."

Harry grinned.

-

Dumbledore was back to normal already the next day although he looked a bit weary. Harry and his friends stifled their laughter as they seem to be the only ones amongst the students that knew who had done the prank on the 'almighty' Dumbledore.

Although Harry was a bit worried about his uncle. Diablos had been distracted, had been for a while now and seemed to be lost in thoughts even when they had spoken with each other. He had written a letter to Salerna and Bill, asking them both to check up on the man from time to time. He knew only too well of Diablos' habits when he was distracted; too little sleep, almost no food and working all the time. It also made him snappish and very, _very _sarcastic. He could be sarcastic other times as well, but when he was deprived of sleep and hungry it got worse.

Harry picked a bit on his breakfast as he got lost in thoughts as well. One thing was sure; once the two Potters got distracted by their own thoughts they never finished what they were currently eating unless someone snapped them out of it.

"Harry!"

That someone was today Draco and he smacked the boy over the head, although gently. Harry whipped his head up and stared wildly at the blonde boy.

"You spaced out."

"Oh…" was Harry's intelligent response.

-

Diablos rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tuned out Odium's and Arsenic's nagging on each other. Instead he tried to focus on grading the tests he had done earlier on the day with his students.

An hour later, he realized he was defeated and dropped the quill before rubbing his face. He blinked to wake up some and glanced over at the two others. They seemed to have forgotten their argument as they made a potion. Diablos had no idea what they were doing, and had no wish to find out. Odium and Arsenic combined, doing a potion could only end up in disaster… for someone else.

-

Dumbledore was angry over what had happened to him. He had fallen into a trap, he, the great and light Albus Dumbledore! He sucked on a lemon drop furiously, thinking hard. Who would do it? Who in their immature mind would try anything like that?!

The Weasley twins? No, they were not like that… he hoped. They were distancing themselves from their family, siding with Bill. Charlie were no where to be found; he was too deep inside of Romania for a successful search and did not seem in a hurry to contact his parents.

Bill… Dumbledore was disappointed in the man. He had turned away from them, from his family, from the light, and had embraced the dark. He had sided with Diablos Potter. He was doomed to die now.

He was getting off track. Who would play a prank on him? He briefly thought about Harry but dismissed it. The boy did not seem like the type…

Who had it been?

-

Diablos fingered on the two-way mirror as he lay in bed. He closed his eyes briefly to let the calm atmosphere settle him down. He was running out of time.

He needed to talk to Lucius.

-

"A duel-club?"

Draco nodded and continued:

"Sad thing it's with Lockhart. Good thing is Sev is there to help out."

"I don't know…" Harry said. "What do we need duelling for?"

"Protection against whoever petrified Mrs Norris," the blonde replied with a shrug.

"If the person knows how to petrify someone, how will swinging our wand around help?" the raven-haired boy asked and raised an eyebrow.

"True," Draco admitted. "We can go to the first one and see if's anything interesting."

Harry nodded after a few minutes of thinking.

-

Lucius looked up as someone entered the Floo. He was surprised to see Diablos coming out from the fire.

"Diablos?" he asked uncertainly.

"You are rumoured to be a Death Eater," Diablos said without greeting. "Correct?"

"… Correct."

"Tell me, as a rumoured Death Eater, did Voldemort let you handle anything delicate, something precious to him?"

Lucius froze. The tone Diablos used told the blonde man that the other man _knew_ he had been a Death Eater, and still was one.

"What do you mean?" he asked nonetheless.

"Don't play stupid with me," Diablos said with an icy smile. "Tell me."

Lucius gulped.

-

Diablos flung books and parchments around himself. Arsenic's voice came from behind him:

"What have those poor books ever done to you?"

Diablos directed a glare at her before returning to his task. He was not aware if he destroyed the books or not; he needed one special book and nothing was going to stop him.

Odium stepped up behind Arsenic and bent down to ask her:

"What is he doing?"

"Like usual; I have no bloody idea…"

-

"We wanna use the constant chatter spell!"

Harry looked up in surprise from his book at the Weasley twins who grinned quite evilly at him. The boy was seated in the library and wondered why not Madam Pince had chased the two out yet; they were jumping up and down next to the table Harry was seated.

"To whom?" he asked nonetheless.

"After the duel-club meeting tonight if Professor Idiot doesn't do his job," Fred said. "If he does his job… then he'll probably do something else we didn't like and therefore can we use the constant chatter spell on him?! We can use it on ickle-Ronnie and weird-Ginny as well!"

Their pleading looks made Harry cave in and they whooped in joy… although a bit quietly to not upset Madam Pince.

-

Harry's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as he was forced up on the stage. He should not even have bothered to come. Of course Lockhart was going to use him! And against that stupid prat called Ron freaking Weasley! He was getting seriously sick of that boy. The redhead looked smugly at him and Harry could not help but arch an eyebrow in mocking.

"Use light spells only, the ones I told you about!" Lockhart's eyes shone and Harry had an urge to punch them all out. That would teach the stupid bastard a lesson.

Weasley began with a rather weak Stupefy and Harry tilted his head to avoid it.

"Very impressive," he said blankly. "Maybe you should practice your aim though."

Severus hid his chuckle behind a well-placed cough. Ron got red in his face and threw another one. Harry tilted his head to the other side. He had not even gotten his wand out. He looked at the boy in front of him, bored.

Ron got angrier and summoned a snake. Harry raised an eyebrow. He was supposed to get scared by that?

According to Ron's smug look, the redhead assumed he would. Harry sighed; he had nothing against snakes and snakes seemed to have nothing against him. He had never seen one really up-close though; it did not live any snakes near their home in Florence for some reason.

Diablos had nothing against snakes as well, and Salerna had said to Harry that the man seemed to understand them. Harry was not sure if he was going to be able to.

Therefore it was a surprise when the snake hissed. He knew the snake was hissing yet all he heard was:

"_What the freaking hell is going on?!"_

The snake spoke… and Harry understood it. The snake got irritated and began turning around.

"_Ya over__ there!"_ it hissed at a random student._ "What the hell is going on?!"_

The student, a Hufflepuff Harry noted absently, squeaked and moved away.

"_Don't freaking walk away from me when I'm talking!"_ the snake practically screamed, its words coming out in a series of high-pitched hisses. Harry nearly broke down in laughter. He went forward and picked the snake up. Everyone drew their breath.

"_Who the hell a__re ya?! Hey, lemme go now!"_

"Harry, put the creature down so I can banish it," Lockhart said gently, his white and perfect teeth flashing with his annoying smile.

"_Who the hell are ya calling creature, ya freaky teeth?!"_

"The snake was summoned from somewhere," Harry objected while hiding his more and more desperate laughing at the snake's angry hissing. "And it's not a creature, it's a snake. And I'm going to release it."

"Harry it might be poisonous," the blonde man continued and took a step forward.

"Can't see him biting me," Harry said. "Good night."

"_Yeah, good night! Piss off!"_

He strode out from the hall with the snake's head bouncing over his shoulder as it continued shouting insults at the dumb-founded man.

-

Once they came to an abandoned hallway, Harry looked at the snake.

"_Well, who are ya?"_ the snake asked.

"_I'm Harry,"_ the boy spoke but it was not in English. His own eyes widened as he heard his own words come out in strange hisses. The snake stared at him before exclaiming:

"_Holy shit, ya speak Parseltongue!"_

'Holy shit indeed…'

-

"Dia, I have a slight problem…"

"What is it?" Diablos asked as he looked at his nephew.

"I got a new friend today… but he's not exactly human."

"… What?"

"Dia, meet Coran. Coran, meet my uncle."

"_What the hell? A person in the mirror? Wha? He looks like ya, Harry!"_

Diablos blinked as the over-excited snake continued to hiss. His head waved back and forth, like in a trance and Diablos just had to ask:

"Harry, can snakes be high on sugar?"

"Erm… dunno, why?"

"Well, he acts like you when you're high on sugar."

"Hey!"

"_Yeah, hey! Wait a minute… Whaddja calling hey for?"_

The raven-haired man had a feeling that snake would bring lots of amusement for his nephew.

-

Some people avoided Harry like the plague the following day, whispering loudly. He snapped up pieces as 'acting as if the snake was human', 'he could probably talk to it', 'the heir to You-Know-Who…'

He knew Voldemort knew Parseltongue but come on! He was pretty sure his uncle knew Parseltongue even though he had never really heard the man speak it. But how could he understand snakes so good otherwise?

His friends acted like nothing was wrong (for nothing was wrong to them) and they had met the snake already but instead of being afraid they found Coran hilarious. Harry had left the snake in his dorm, the door slightly ajar so Coran could go hunting food if he wanted.

Fred and George suddenly threw their arms over his shoulders in the middle of the hallway and bent down to whisper in his ear:

"Lunch today will be… really, _really_ fun. Remind us to write and thank your godfathers and uncle later."

Harry looked at the two as they continued to walk. A smile formed as he wondered if they had made use of the constant chatting spell.

-

Dumbledore was pacing his office. He seemed to do it a lot lately. He wanted to throw a fit but restrained himself. He was angry though.

Harry, acting like a snake was his friend. Too dangerous, far too dangerous. He needed Harry away from Diablos as quickly as possible. He had to find out where the man lived so he could launch an attack there or something. He had to get Harry under his control so he could make the fake Prophecy seem real, so he could make himself famous for having trained the Boy-Who-Lived… a boy who would die as soon as he had killed Voldemort.

-

When suddenly the students heard a voice starting they all looked for the source. They saw three places where the eating people had stopped in shock.

Gilderoy Lockhart, Ron Weasley and Ginny Weasley. With Lockhart was the first voice, a very boring-sounding voice:

"_During the fourteen century the goblins and humans had not reached long in their solution of peace, and 1399 war broke out due to an argument over who owned the castle in the north__ of Scotland. The goblins claimed it belonged to one of theirs while the humans denied this, despite the fact the castle was not even big enough for them to walk upright in…"_

Harry choked on his pumpkin juice as laugher bubbled up. He coughed harshly before starting to laugh. The other students did as well but Harry laughed because he knew who it was; Diablos loved history. The man had found a passion with history once he started school and was almost the only one that looked forward to the classes with professor Binns, or so had Diablos with great reluctance told his nephew when Harry had asked.

Somehow, the man had managed to become pretty much an expert with the goblin wars and that was most likely the reason why the goblins liked him.

However, Harry had never found the passion Diablos had with the wars. And it seemed like Lockhart did not find it either. And the boring voice sounded a bit like Diablos' when he was talking about something he tried very hard not sounding interested about.

From Ron another voice came, sounding as bored as the first one:

"_The __Incendio spell was first conducted three hundred years ago but more aggressive than today. It was created by two women who were sick of their men when they did not help in the home. House elves were not available at the time so they had to clean their homes on their own…"_

The creating of spells was both Diablos' and Salerna's departments as they both were interested in them. Harry laughed harder; the information about how a spell was created could be interested, however, it seemed Sirius and Remus had told Diablos and Salerna to only take up the most boring parts. Harry laughed even more as he heard the boring voice nag on and on about the two women who were sick of people's lazy nature and began to use Incendio on them all. Ron tried to shut the sound out, without much success.

Ginny Weasley seemed terrified over the voice surrounding her:

"_The most important things for a good health __are the food and the exercise. The food must be divided into three equal parts if you train only moderate. Salad is one important thing of your meal and should be eaten at lunch and dinner. However, breakfast is the most important meal of the day so make sure not to miss it. The exercise is important as well…"_

So Salerna. Harry had completely melted against Draco's side in helpless laughter but the blonde was not much better. Blaise held Padma onto the bench, so much was she laughing, while chuckling himself. Theodore was shaking his head at Hermione's side, who by the way had her head on the table and her shoulders shaking in suppressed giggles and Marcus looked at Lockhart with a pleased look. Miles was chuckling from the older teen's side.

Harry managed to look over at the Weasley twins. They made thumbs up to him before continuing to laugh. They certainly did not feel sorry for what they had done, and Harry knew they enjoyed every moment of the 'torture' they had put on those three.

-

Diablos opened the mirror absently and said:

"Yes?"

"I didn't know you knew about the war between goblins and human 1399."

Wait a minute… Diablos blinked and looked into the mirror. He gulped.

Harry was grinning at him, surrounded by his friends. Diablos slowly put the quill away and was glad he had lunch and his students were out. He locked the door with a quick wave if someone wanted in earlier than he wanted. He then said casually:

"I learned about all the wars between goblins and humans. What about it?"

"Constant chatting spell," Harry said and Diablos blinked. "For Lockhart it was goblin wars, for Ron it was about the two women who created the Incendio… was that true by the way?"

"Unfortunately, yes. One might have believed it would have laid a greater purpose behind the spell than a punishment for lazy men," Diablos drawled out.

"Okay. And for Ginny was about health. How long can Salerna talk about health and healthy food?"

"Until you shut him up," the man dead-panned.

"How long can you talk about goblin wars?" Harry continued. Diablos pondered on it for a few moments and then replied:

"Until you shut me up."

-

The spells took four days to wear off and by that time the three were almost crazy. Ginny was skittish and was convinced someone in the school was after her. The goal had been reached though; she did not pay an ounce of attention towards Harry.

Same with the two others. Lockhart was never leaving his quarters if he did not have to and Ron ran back to his dorm once he was free for the evening. Harry tried to feel a bit sorry about them but found he could not. He thought of Lockhart and he just got angry. He thought of Ron and now he became livid. He thought of Ginny and simply shuddered. Something was seriously wrong with her.

Fred and George could back that up. They said she sometimes acted delirious and Percy dragged her to Madam Pomfrey constantly. Harry wanted to know why she was acting the way she did; not everything was because of the pranks. She seemed almost paranoid. And that Tom… who was it? If she only could say something more to the twins…

-

Diablos looked at the book in front of him, lying so innocently on his desk. He himself was holding a glass of chilling cold wine against his left temple, trying to ease up his headache. He now closed his eyes and started to have doubts.

Did he really need to do that ritual? Was it really that necessary? He maybe could handle it without the details…

Two hands found themselves on his shoulders, slowly moving. Diablos had felt his presence long ago and was therefore not startled.

"You are thinking too much again," Odium said as he hit a particular tense spot on Diablos' shoulders. Diablos had no answer. "Why don't you let it rest for tonight? You have classes tomorrow and needs to be fresh for that. You drinking that up?"

"No," Diablos sighed out and felt the glass being plucked from his numb fingers. He rose up and put the book in one of the drawers.

"Arsenic went back to Australia for a bit," Odium said. "You don't mind if I stay for a few days?"

"No, as long as you don't let anyone see you."

"Fine."

-

Harry was riding on waves of happiness. Ginny had slipped. She had told the twins her 'friend's' whole name; Tom Riddle. Now was only the question of finding said person. Hermione had gladly given into the task, a bit put out from last year's failed attempt. She was determined not to fail this time.

And she did not disappoint. It went two days, and then she had some answers. They were seated outside on a heated blanket for protecting against the snow and the cold, Coran curled up around Harry's neck and nuzzling his nose into the skin due to the warmth of it. Hermione took out a parchment and they all leaned closer.

"Tom Riddle went here around fifty years ago," she said and they widened their eyes, "and was given an honouree price when he was a bit older than us. I tried to find out some more about him but it seems like he was not that famous after school. I did manage to find out with Madam Pince's help that he was very intelligent and had very high grades when he finished his seventh year."

"Fifty years ago?" Fred said. "You mean weird-Ginny could well be talking to a dead man?"

"Yeah," she said as she folded the paper. "Or he must have something in the school… I just don't know what…"

"A magic book?" Draco asked. They all turned to him. He shrugged and continued, "Dad told me once about a book that had memories in it, and if you wrote into it the memories would form an answer back. He was careful about what he said though, but he only told me because I was nagging on him."

"Maybe your dad knows more," Hermione said.

"No such luck there," the blonde said. "If we ask him, he won't tell us anything. What I just told you was what I managed to drag out of him."

-

Harry had written a letter to his uncle, not quite daring to ask it into the man's face, and then one to Bill as well. Draco would ask his father but that was all. They did not dare asking anyone else. They had two shots with two very stubborn people.

-

Diablos paled somewhat when he read the letter. His eyes scanned over the words over and over again.

A moment later the Floo flared to life and in stepped Lucius. He looked paler than usual and Diablos said:

"What's wrong?"

"I think… I've made a huge mistake."

-

Harry and Draco waited somewhat tense for answers, not knowing if Lucius or Diablos really knew anything. Then it came. One letter.

_Draco and Harry,_

_How you managed to find that out I have no idea. I will not ask either; it's fair that everyone gets to keep secrets. I do advice you to be very careful; you are walking on thin ice as it is already. _

_You wish to know about Tom Riddle. If I know you all right, Hermione has already sniffed out all she can and shared that with you. For safety I will tell the basics first:_

_Tom Riddle was born around 1926, I don't know his parents but I believe he was a Half-blood. He started Hogwarts in 1938 and was in Slytherin. He was a Prefect and later Head Boy if I remember correct. He finished school with the one of the highest grades ever been made in Hogwarts. That I'm sure Hermione already has told you._

_As for the rest of his life… his past is dark, complicated and twisted. I have no wish to inflict nightmares to you. I can tell you whatever he intends to do, it certainly will not be nice. Tom Riddle doesn't understand love, or what life really means. He fears death above all else, and has distanced himself from his real name. _

_He's dangerous; do not try to get in contact with him. Not until he knows everything. Then he may accept it, shrug it off and continue with his plans. _

_That's all I can, and will, tell. Draco, don't push your father with another letter; the man looked like he had had a heart attack. Be kind to your elders. And Harry, trying to get more information from me won't do you anything. _

_I'm not telling you to forget Tom Riddle and whatever quest you have taken on, but I'm telling you to be careful. Don't risk your lives for something that's not worth it._

_Diablos_

The two boys looked at each other, and Harry gulped a bit. Ginny Weasley was communicating with a very dangerous man, and it doesn't seem like she knows it.

"Why did he tell us that this Riddle fears death?" Draco asked. "And why did my dad seem so upset about it? It's not like the guy went to school the same time as them."

"Dia always have a reason," Harry said. "Maybe he wanted to tell us Riddle fears death, and will do anything to survive. He doesn't understand love so he doesn't have anyone precious to him that can be threatened. He doesn't understand a life of another, which indicates he won't feel sorry when he kills someone."

-

Diablos hoped he had not given away too much. He hoped Harry and Draco would listen to his warning and be careful. He had already known they would not stop and had therefore not written a letter in where he practically shrieked for them to stop whatever they were doing and pretend they had never heard the name.

So he decided to give a bit of information, to let his nephew and his friends know who they were dealing with.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. The damn book sat in front of him again. He stood up angrily and swiped the book with him as he exited the room. Better do it sooner than later…

-

November passed slowly, dragged on by boring lessons and some fun lessons with of course his friends' company and Coran's rather hyper nature. Harry felt his spirits lift a bit as December began though; soon it was holiday and he would be able to hug his uncle again. He would be able to harass the man, curl up beside him in the early morning, hearing his grumbling about lazy students and watch him grade papers. Even just watching Diablos would be enough. He wanted to see his uncle up close, not through a simple mirror.

But for now he had to stand out with the Quidditch game. It was not that bad, he just was not interested. It was Hufflepuff against Gryffindor, but Draco was still in a way cheering Hufflepuff on. Anything to make Gryffindor loose. Harry had left the snake in the dorm, as Coran like any other snake did not like the cold and would have a much better time in the warmth of the room.

Hermione, Padma and Neville were sitting at the Ravenclaw stand, Neville not so comfortable at the Gryffindor stand where everyone shouted and howled. Harry followed Fred and George as they zoomed around in the air, swinging their bats. They were good players, no doubt… but you could see if you knew them that they were not trying their best. They had never really tried in Quidditch ever since they became friends with Harry.

Draco yawned a bit and said:

"Can't they just knock someone out and make the game more interesting?"

"You're brutal," Harry commented lightly.

"And you sound too happy to be angry about it."

"True. Should have been Gryffindor versus Slytherin; Marcus would have had fun. He had been frustrated for a while now."

"Don't worry; the first game after Christmas are those two," the blonde said with a grin. "I'm sure Flint will hold his anger in until that game."

-

Harry was jumping up and down; two days left until holiday! Theodore did not even bother commenting; only shook his head and continued reading his magazine.

Draco knew better than to say anything and opted for laying his last hand at a Transfiguration work he would give to McGonagall the following day. Coran had curled up on the pillow, dozing lightly. He did not even bother open an eye to check what the hell was running around in the room; he already knew it was Harry.

Harry finally calmed down enough to sit down on his bed and there he found the letter from Diablos concerning Tom Riddle. The two of them had never discussed it while speaking through the mirrors and the raven-haired boy knew if he never mentioned it neither would Diablos. It was nice knowing that even if the man wanted them safe he also did not forbid them being curious. Yes, he had told them to be really careful but he had not said they was not allow to try to find out more.

And they were going to. Harry was certain off it.

Soon he got busy though as the Weasley twins wrote something on the special parchment. He scooted over to read it, his mood light and happy.

Tbc…

* * *

Alright, I stopped here because I really wanted to give you readers something! I've had far too little inspiration for A Second Chance lately; all I can think of is the bloody ending! That is annoying, considering the ending won't come for a while.

Anyway, chapter 21: Christmas. Things will happen there I guess. Happy things I mean. Not anything bad, I'll try be nice.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	22. Chapter 21

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Thanks for all the reviews, sorry for the late update and enjoy chapter twenty-one!

-

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Harry woke up to the feeling of Coran's tongue flicking out on his cheek. He pried one of his eyes open and looked at the snake. Coran was sleeping; the tongue was a natural reaction. Either some, it was slightly irritating.

He sat up slowly and stretched. The snake did not wake. He glanced over at the other beds, but Draco and Theodore was still asleep.

He grinned; today he was going home! This night, he would sleep in his own bed, he would eat dinner with his uncle and he would be able to feel the man's presence. He could sit and watch his uncle as much as he wanted to, making sure Diablos ate enough and slept enough.

With those thoughts in his head, Harry jumped from bed with a happy shout, successfully waking the two boys and the snake.

-

Diablos woke up that morning and lay staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. With a blink of his eyes he remembered the day, and a smile graced his lips.

Harry would be coming home. He got up quickly, as if the quicker he was done the faster his nephew would be here.

-

Harry was bouncing out of the Entrance doors, his friends running after him while laughing. Some of the teachers saw them and smiled at their antics. Dumbledore frowned deeply though and retreated back to his office to brood and think out plans he hoped would work. Which they rarely did.

-

The compartment was crammed with people. How eleven people fit into a place with only six seats was beyond Harry. Fred had George sitting in his lap, Draco leaning against Fred's legs. Theodore and Blaise were sitting on the floor as well, leaning against Miles' and Marcus' legs. Harry himself was sitting leaned back to Draco's chest while Hermione, Padma and Neville had been blessed with the seats. It was lucky they all had shrunk their trunks, except for Hermione's. That one had been thrown up at the rack above Marcus by Marcus himself. He was currently reading a book Diablos had recommended, Miles reading over his shoulder.

George had apparently been up late the night before (he had forgotten to pack and had been in a bit of a panic in the morning according to Fred) and was therefore dosing off, his head leaning onto his brother's shoulder. Fred had only wound an arm around the twin's waist and continued to talk to Draco.

They all bought sweets from the witch, her normally stoic face breaking a bit at the sight of the happy children. Normally the kids on the train were rude but everyone in the packed compartment was so nice, so lively and so happy. She saw most of them were Slytherins yet none of them acted like one at the moment. It was with a small smile she continued.

-

Diablos craned his neck slightly to look at the crowds of children getting off the train. Lucius stood next to him, quiet, one hand nervously fiddling with his cane. He had been quiet and nervous a lot because of what they had discussed lately.

Diablos chanced a glance at the man and then darted it over to the others. Narcissa, Joanne and Augusta were talking happily to each other, discussing whatever women discussed while Bill entertained Greg. Sirius and Remus had not been able to come but would join Diablos and Harry in Florence later.

"Diablos?"

He looked over at Lucius again with a hum, letting the blonde man that he was listening.

"How much do you know really?"

"This is not really the time," the raven-haired man said as his red eyes swept over the crowds, trying to sense his nephew's magic amongst the crowds or at least one of Harry's friends' magic.

"I know but I must know," Lucius said. "Are you a Seer or what?"

"No," Diablos said bluntly. "I suck at Divination actually."

"Then how do you know?" Lucius hissed out.

"All in due time," the man said, somewhat sadly. "All in due time, Lucius."

Their children's shouts interrupted the blonde's questioning.

-

Harry threw his arms around Diablos, hearing the man grunt at the impact. He nuzzled his face into the black robe Diablos was wearing and said:

"Hi, Dia."

"Hello, Harry. What have I done to deserve being hugged to death?"

Harry weakly hit his uncle and heard the man chuckle a bit. He seemed better from before. Not as distracted and more relaxed. Good; he did not want Diablos feeling ill, distraced or tense for any long period of time.

"Shall we be going then?" the man asked and arched an eyebrow to the boy. "You may say goodbye to your friends first of course."

Harry bounced off and did just that. After a few minutes, he returned and asked with a frown:

"Where are Sirius and Remus?"

"Waiting for us," Diablos replied. "Sirius no doubt trying to plant every single prank he can into every corner of the manor."

"Does that mean I have to hide in my room until every single one of them is gone?" Harry whined.

"Don't worry; I made Dora promise that she would stalk him and remove all the pranks from our manor and surreptitiously place it at his manor."

Harry laughed.

-

"Hey, if it isn't my favourite godson!"

"I'm your only godson Padfoot!" Harry said as Sirius swung him up in the air.

"That's why you're my favourite," Sirius said as he hugged the boy close to him.

"Aren't I'm getting a hug?" Remus asked as Harry was let down. The moment later the boy had crashed into the werewolf and proceeded to hug the very life out of him.

Diablos shook his head at the boy's antics and looked over at Bill and the twins. Fred and George had refused spending Christmas with their family, and had opted to stay with Bill. Bill himself had already arranged with Diablos so they would stay in Florence the whole break.

"Dora has prepared gust rooms for you," the raven-haired man said to the redheads, ignoring Coran who tried to flick his tongue into Diablos' ear. "Was I right when I assumed you two wished to share a room, Fred, George?"

"Yep!" the two chirped. "It's better having one room when you plan pranks!"

Bill groaned.

-

Dinner had been entertaining, considering it had Fred, George and Sirius involved. Diablos was sure that somehow Sirius had managed to rub off on them. He had no idea how but he was convinced. The two of them were nearly as living copies of the Black when it came to pranks.

They had happily shown the memories of the pranks to Remus, Sirius and Bill who had more or less laughed their asses off. Diablos' mouth had twitched into a smile as he saw them.

Then came the interrogation from the twins and one puppy-eyed fully grown man who acted like he was five and high on sugar. They demanded to know Diablos' prank potions. The raven-haired man had managed to ignore them until dessert when one final pitiful whine from Sirius made him go crazy.

They all were startled when he rose from the table abruptly and swept out of the room, his robes billowing exactly like Severus'.

"Did we make him snap?" Sirius wondered.

"More importantly; did he copy professor Snape or did professor Snape copy him?" the twins asked.

They were silent until Diablos came back… with a bunch of parchments. A rather large bunch. He bumped them in Sirius' lap and snapped:

"There they are, from when I was seven years old until last year! Happy now?"

"Yeah---Wait a minute! You made prank potions all until last year?!" Sirius shouted.

"More importantly, you started doing them when you were seven?!" the twins shouted, shoving Sirius off the chair.

Diablos sat down, as dignified as he could and answered in a way only he could:

"I was bored."

-

Harry looked away from his book as Diablos entered the room. The man sat down and the boy put the book away. Coran was hissing slightly on the pillow next to Harry's own, already off in dreamland. The boy put his arms around the man's middle and closed his eyes.

"Your friends and godfather are going to be the death of me," Diablos kindly informed his nephew.

"They just have a hard time believing it," Harry said with a small laugh. "It's almost so I don't believe it."

Diablos huffed.

-

Harry was woken up on Christmas Eve by Diablos. The man smiled a bit at him and said:

"I know it's early, but I need you to wake up and come with me."

"Where are we going?" Harry mumbled as the man helped him dress.

"You'll see."

They moved outside the manor, and Harry looked at the morning sun sleepily. Diablos came back and the boy saw the man held four roses in his hand.

"Dia?" he asked, confused.

"Just hang onto me."

Harry did and Diablos Apparated.

-

When he opened his eyes, snow was the first thing he saw. The wind was cold against his cheeks and he was happy he had listened to his uncle and put on a winter cloak. He looked around and it all clicked.

Last year Diablos had gone alone… this year he had promised to bring Harry with him. Harry was going to see his parents' graves for the first time.

They first stopped at Mary's and John's graves and Diablos put two of the roses there. He looked at the gravestone for a while before rising up from his crunched position and offered his nephew a hand. Harry happily took it and they continued walking until they reached James' and Lily's gravestone.

It was rather plain, but Harry did not know what he had expected. Diablos carefully dusted the snow off, just as he had done with his adoptive parents' graves before laying the roses down. Harry was uncertain of what to do.

Finally he walked up to Diablos and snuck his arms around his uncle, burrowing his head into the man's chest.

"Have you always come here alone?" Harry asked quietly.

"Not the first few years you were with me," Diablos said. "I… I guess I didn't want to. When you got older I decided I was ready to see the graves."

They stood in silence after that, the snow falling gently around them. They did not need any words.

-

"Harry!"

Hermione was almost hugging the life out of him and the boy choked out, waving his arms around in mock-panic:

"Need… air… to… survive… Hermione!"

With a blush she released him and he was given a hug by both Draco and Neville. Diablos looked mildly irritated over the amount of people inside the manor but wisely kept silent. Salerna came up from behind him and gave him a glass of wine.

"Told you wouldn't have a quiet Christmas for a while," the white-haired man said with a grin.

"Don't remind me," Diablos muttered.

-

Harry was in heaven. Before Hogwarts, Christmas had been a rather quiet affair with only him, Diablos, the Malfoys and the two Magas Salerna and Cissi. They had eaten dinner together and then opened their gifts, Draco and himself playing a game or talking afterwards while the adults spoke with each other. Diablos had rarely been really present during those times; he preferred sitting and staring into space.

Now he had Draco, Hermione, Neville, Fred and George there, in addition with Hermione's parents, Neville's grandmother, the Malfoys, the Magas, Sirius, Remus, Bill, Severus and of course his uncle. The manor had never been livelier before!

The children were vibrating on their spots on the table after dinner, looking at their parents or guardians (or brother in the twins' case) with shining eyes. Diablos sighed and looked at the others. They nodded and he turned back to them.

"Yes, you are allowed to go and open your gifts," he said.

Once again, it was like the children had Apparated from the chairs into the living room. Slowly the adults followed, though Diablos stayed behind a bit. He had taken out the damn book again and looked at it. He should do it. The ritual had been far too complicated for him to do it alone. He needed help; he was not as good with these kinds of things as _them_. With a sigh he snapped his fingers and Dora showed up.

"Dora, can I have my address book from the warded shelf?" he asked. He could not summon it and it was easier for Dora to weave her way through the wards than him trying to fight them off as quickly as he could. He had made them a bit too strong for his own good.

"Yes master!"

Diablos looked to see if anyone missed him but luckily they did not. Harry would soon look after him, no doubt and he hoped to finish before the boy became worried. It was Christmas after all and he did not want Harry to get upset just because Diablos was not there.

-

"There you are, Diablos! A firewhiskey?" Lucius asked. They had spoken with each other earlier and the blonde man had decided if there were no answers coming from Diablos he might as well drop it altogether. Diablos appreciated that.

"No thank you," Diablos said. "The wine at dinner was enough of alcohol for me."

He seated himself next to Augusta who was looking at her grandson with content eyes. It seemed that it was rare she saw Neville laugh and have fun.

Joanne and Narcissa soon drew her in a discussion consisting of dresses, and their targets were Hermione and Padma. Padma was coming to Florence the following day and would be there until New Year. It seemed like Joanne and Narcissa had planned something but Diablos was not too keen to find out what. He would leave them to have their fun.

While the adults chatted they also opened their few gifts. Lucius sighed in desperation over his pile of gifts, mostly from people trying to get into his good grades. Diablos chuckled slightly and looked at his own pile. He had never cared much for gifts, and therefore was content with whatever he was given.

One package made him frown. There was no note telling who it was from. He lifted it; it was quite light and yet not. He began to think of who could have sent it. Looking around, he discreetly banished it to his room to be opened later. He then picked up Harry's gift to him and unwrapped the paper.

-

Harry looked suspiciously at the gift and then at his uncle. Diablos cocked an eyebrow and the boy asked:

"What's the meaning of this?"

"What do you mean?" the man asked.

"It says this belonged to my dad," the raven-haired boy said.

"True," Diablos said.

"What is it?"

"Telling before the gift is opened is generally considered as spoiling the surprise," the man said with a smile. "Open it; you will like it."

Harry glanced at Diablos one last time before opening it. As the light robe fell down into his lap, Harry's eyes widened. He knew exactly what it was, and he whipped his head up to stare at Diablos.

"It's an Invisibility Cloak!" he said.

"Yes, an old family-heirloom," Diablos said as the children and adults gawked at the robe lying innocently in Harry's lap. "Since I was able to conceal myself without it, father passed it on to James. I believe Sirius and Remus are familiar with it?"

"If we are!" Sirius shouted. "I wondered where the hell it was! Don't tell me you've kept it hidden up until now!"

"I had no desire trying to locate an invisible Harry when he was seven years old," Diablos snapped. "Nor did I want to let you even borrow it, considering the amount of trouble you get in."

"Aww, Diablos, don't be like that!" Sirius moaned while Severus shook his head. "Come on, Harry, try it!"

The next few hours were spent with the children taking turns, having only needed to look at Sirius for him to join the game, trying the cloak and then chase around each other in the manor (of course not in all room but they would discover that as they went). Their shrieks and laughter echoed in the halls, and Diablos saw one or two portraits put their hands over their ears. Feeling oddly nice this night, he cast a few Muffling charms over the portraits and they all gave him a grateful look.

-

Diablos was not that large and he had to realize that sooner or later. It was a bit difficult carrying around his twelve-year old nephew now but he managed.

Harry had fallen asleep with his head in his uncle's lap around midnight, shortly after the others. Fred and George had been able to stay up until one when they finally dosed off one of each side of Bill.

But after the children had fallen asleep came the hassle of getting them to their beds. Sirius had kindly enough helped Augusta with Neville and Remus took George so Bill could take Fred. Greg had taken Hermione, Lucius Draco and Diablos Harry.

He placed his nephew down onto the bed and Coran came slithering inside. The snake had been coming once in a while into the room, constantly trying to flick his tongue into Diablos' ear just to annoy him. The moment Diablos knew no one was listening to him he had taken the snake in his hands, looked it in the eyes and said:

"_Stop annoying me before you are to be the next ingredient in a potion."_

Coran had promptly stopped and curled around Diablos' shoulders in an attempt of apology after the initial _'Holy shit! You speak Parseltongue!'_

Now the snake used Diablos' leg to slither up and then up onto the bed. He managed to come to the pillow next to Harry, mumbled a goodnight and then was out like a light.

Diablos shook his head at it and transfigured Harry's clothing into a pyjama, not feeling quite up to the task of redressing his nephew when said boy was asleep. Harry moved slightly and opened his eyes to a silt.

"Go back to sleep," Diablos soothed and stroke his hair.

"Dia…" the boy mumbled, stretching out his arms for a hug. Diablos rolled his eyes, but since he felt so nice today, he bent down and gave Harry what he wanted. The boy hugged him as hard as he could and continued sleepily, "You're the best…"

Diablos chuckled at that.

-

Once he entered the room, he saw the gift he had banished earlier lie on his bed. He sighed a bit and walked up to it. He opened it carefully while muttering. He had a fair guess who it was from, and was not quite sure what to expect.

He looked down at the pendant with a frown. He picked it up and held it up. It glittered in the light.

"Damn vampires…" he muttered. "What do they want now? This is way beyond their usual gifts."

-

"Padma! Padma!"

"Padma!"

"PADMA!"

The shouts made her blink and before she knew it, Padma was surrounded by her five friends, all of them trying to hug the life out of her. Padma's parents, Jasmine and Herman (A/N faked names; dunno the Patil twins' parents' names) looked on in confusion; they had never really known how Padma's friends acted since she rarely spoke of them.

"Children, calm down. There is no need to choke poor Padma."

They both looked up to see Diablos coming striding, dressed in a deep blue shirt, black jeans and dragon-hide boots. His long hair was made into a braid resting over one of his shoulders.

"Aah, you must be Padma's parents. I'm Harry's uncle, Diablos Potter. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Jasmine said and shook his hand. Herman nodded and shook Diablos' hand as well.

"Hello Diablos," Padma said with a smile.

"Good morning," he said to her with a nod. "I expect Hermione to show you to your room. I hope you don't mind sharing."

"No, it's okay! I'm glad over that," she said. "Bye, mum dad!"

"Take care of yourself now," Jasmine said as she hugged her daughter tightly. "I'll see you before you step on the train, alright?"

"Yeah. Bye dad."

"Bye my girl," Herman said and hugged her as well. "Don't cause too much chaos alright?"

"Dad!" she said, blushing and he laughed.

"Don't worry Mr Patil," Diablos said. "I'm sure Fred and George will be more than happy to take over that role."

"Hey!" the twins said, offended. Diablos merely raised an eyebrow.

-

"Why can't we prank Diablos?"

Harry rolled his eyes at the twins and replied:

"Because he knows when something's off. And he will only give revenge to any prank we play on him."

"But we wanna prank him! We've pranked everyone else!" the two whined simultaneously.

"Yeah, but Diablos is a totally new level," the boy said. "Sirius tried more than once; ask him what happened."

The twins dragged all of the others with them to ask Sirius. They found him in the living room, playing chess with Remus.

"Sirius my good man!" Fred said. "Harry says you know the horror of trying to prank Diablos! What happened?"

Sirius slowly turned his head to look at them, so slowly they actually began to back off. Remus gulped and slowly moved his chair away from his friend. The man's eyes got a glassy sheen over them before he said, very slowly:

"That is the one prank… I will regret for the rest of my life."

"Eh?" all of the children said, quite scared due to Sirius' behaviour.

"Diablos paid back," Remus offered. "Sirius placed a charm on him that made him kiss Cissi."

"Why haven't Cissi told us that?" Harry asked. "All I know was Sirius made a prank and regretted it."

"Well, Cissi wasn't that upset over it," Remus said. "But the charm was there the whole day, and it was meant he was going to kiss whoever he saw. Hence the reason why Diablos locked himself in his room after having kissed Cissi, and realizing the charm wasn't going away, planning Sirius' doom."

"What happened?" George asked.

Sirius shuddered. Remus' shoulders began shaking with silent laughter, and the werewolf finally piped up:

"Severus and Lucius were invited to dinner a few days later. And Diablos placed a charm on Sirius… forcing him to kiss both of them."

"What?!" Draco shouted. "Why didn't my dad tell that?!"

"Please, don't speak anymore!" Sirius wailed. "I still have nightmares about it! I kissed… no, it's too horrible to even say out loud! I'm never, ever, gonna play a prank on Diablos again!"

"Well, are you still going to do it?" Harry asked the twins.

"We're not sure…" both of them said, looking at the wailing man with wide eyes.

-

Diablos was walking down the hall, reading a book. Suddenly he stopped and looked up. Something was off. He glanced around and stretched out his magic. Sure enough, in another room the whole arsenal of children were gathered. He felt their excitement and nervousness. With a sigh, he looked down.

Two or three inches in front of his legs were a barely visible thread. He followed it with his eyes to see where it led. To the roof. He glanced up.

Sure enough, there was a bucket just waiting to be dumped over his head with whatever it was. He stepped away, cast a shielding charm over his head just in case and with a bit of magic, pushed the thread. The bucket came flying down and some kind of fluid splashed onto the floor. He sighed.

"Nice try, guys," he said aloud, hearing them gasp. "I will let you off this time."

With a sweep of his hand, the place was cleaned up and he continued walking. The children stuck out their heads and the twins said:

"How did he notice that? Not even Lucius did."

"Does this mean we have to go to plan B?" Neville asked.

"Probably… but he said he was letting us off this time," Harry said. "Maybe we shouldn't play with fate another time."

-

Diablos looked at the thread with a bit of annoyance. They never gave up, those two. Or was the rest with them as well? He shook his head and stepped over the thread.

He heard someone swear and called out:

"Give it up. As long as I don't want to be pranked, I won't be."

And since he was the evil man he was, Diablos waved his arm and chuckled when he heard shrieks coming from one of the rooms.

"I hope you enjoyed the shower!" he said before walking down the stairs.

-

Inside said room stood a group of dripping-wet children.

"That went horrible," Fred declared as he shook his head.

"Can't we give up?" Padma said. "I think we have established that Diablos can't be pranked."

"I agree with Padma," Harry said. "Evil Dia, throwing cold water at us…"

"Admit we deserved that," Hermione said and glared at the Weasley twins. "Now I'm going to find someone who can dry my clothes for me."

"Count me in!" the rest shouted.

-

Lucius dried them all, confusion written all over his face.

"Diablos decided to teach us what happens when we try to prank him," Draco supplied to his father. Lucius' eyebrows rose up.

"I remember last time," he drawled out, looking a bit sick actually. "I don't fancy another time."

"Did Sirius really kiss you?" Draco asked.

Lucius' rather sick and horrible amused face said it all.

-

"Giving up the fight?"

The children all blushed before nodding. Diablos raised an eyebrow and said:

"No falseness here just to make me drop my guard?"

"You never drop your guard anyway," Harry said and flopped down on a seat beside him. "Why bother trying to make you do it?"

"True," he said after some consideration and continued reading his book. The children scattered in the library, finding books to read or playing chess.

"Master."

Dora had popped into the room. Diablos raised his head from the books, his eyes the last from leaving the text before he focused on the house-elf.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Master has a guest waiting in the hall," Dora said.

"Who is it?" the man asked as he rose up.

"It's master Happy." Then she popped away.

Diablos blinked. Master Happy? With a pang he remembered and hurried out. The children, curious, followed. The sight that met them when they came to the hall was rather amusing.

"Let me down!" Diablos nearly shrieked.

A man with long, bluish hair and a black cloak swung the red-eyed man around, laughing. They saw the fangs in his mouth. _A vampire_.

The vampire shouted something out in another language and let him down before hugging Diablos tightly.

"Gah! Unlike you, I need to breathe! Let me go, you un-living creature!"

Finally the vampire let him go and said in rough English:

"We have not heard from you for a very long time, and suddenly a white owl comes to bear some news from you!"

"Hedwig did find you?" Diablos asked. "Oh my, she really can break through any laws, charms, spells or wards existing in this world."

"Why do you think we became so frightened?" the vampire muttered. "Your letter sounded pleasant enough beside the details."

"Can we please take this in my study?" Diablos asked.

"Some details are not meant for children's ears?" the vampire asked right back.

"Some details are not even meant for me, but that's beside the point Orator."

"Lead the way then," Orator said with a grin.

As the two walked upstairs, the children stared at each other. What the hell was that all about?

-

"Your letter worried us," Orator said as the door to the study closed, his nearly white eyes seeking out the red ones. "What have made you so unsettled?"

"A lot of things," Diablos said as he sat down. "I don't know where to begin."

"Why don't you begin with the ritual you mentioned?"

Diablos looked far away, then took out the book he would love to curse into oblivion and gave it to Orator who took it with curiosity shining in his eyes.

"I don't necessary want to do the ritual, but that is the only way I can get what I need," the man said softly as Orator read about the ritual.

"It sounds familiar to our fate," the vampire said softly as he closed the book. "We can do it. A question from a curious friend though; who are you going to bring back from the depths of Hell?"

Diablos smiled, a bit sadly, and replied:

"A monster."

Tbc…

* * *

Just what is Diablos up to? Who is Orator, and what does he mean with their fate? A monster? Well, lots of questions but little answers. For now anyway.

Chapter 22: Rest of the holiday then school. More people gets petrified, and Harry and his friends inches closer to the truth. Look forward to it!

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	23. Chapter 22

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Eeh, yet another change of plans in my planning. And I'm so sorry for the lateness; lately all I've had in my head is schoolwork and Lord of the Rings. I'll try and do better! Enjoy chapter twenty-two!

-

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

"Who was the vampire?"

Diablos looked over at Harry who inched closer.

"An old friend of mine," Diablos said.

"How did you meet?" the boy asked, looking at him curiously.

"Actually, at the school," Diablos said and patted the spot next to him. Harry happily sat down there. The man looked at his nephew and continued, "My class had a demonstration of what they learned about Dark, Black and Blood magic. All of the classes showed different people what they learned. I was there as well, and met a vampire there. Said vampire kindly dragged me off to meet his friends, who also happened to be vampires. Orator was one of them. Ever since, he demands at least one letter once a year. I admit I have been bad at writing him lately."

"What did you want from him?"

"I needed a small favour," Diablos said as he stroke the boy's hair. Harry leaned into him and rested his head against the man's chest. "I needed information about an old ritual and he knew it much better than me."

"What kind of ritual?"

"Bringing dead people back," Diablos said. "Ancient Black magic and no small amount of Blood magic. Very dangerous, and it can have horrible consequences. I'm going to have a lecture about it after the holidays to make sure no one is foolish enough to try the dead back."

"It's useless, or what?"

"If you bring a dead person back, you will regret it for the rest of your life," Diablos said. "Most of the time. In very rare cases, the dead person is like he or she was before they died but that is often not the case."

"Was that all you wanted from him?"

"That, and maybe a small chat. Haven't seen him for ten years so…"

Harry nodded, and Diablos' heart clenched a bit. Sure, all he had said was the truth… but he also happened to leave the other half of the truth out.

-

New Year came and Joanne, Narcissa and Augusta demanded that they all were going to dress up for the night. Diablos saw no reason for it considering they would spend it in his manor but their glares actually made him think twice. He gave in eventually and trudged upstairs to get some nicer robes on. The three women promptly dragged Hermione and Padma off to change, and the boys were ushered up by the men.

Diablos looked around his wardrobe, feeling a bit lost. He was not very good with fashion; he went for flexibility of the robes, a stronger material than normal. He just did not like all those special robes you wore for balls and parties.

Finally he picked one while muttering about women and their strangeness.

-

"You look wonderful!"

"Mum!" Draco complained. Narcissa did not give in but started to dust off imaginary dust from her son's shoulders. "Mum, quit!"

Lucius chuckled behind his hand. Draco had been dressed in night-blue robes and underneath a black turtleneck shirt with black pants and dragon-hide boots. He also wore thin black gloves on and his hair was slicked back perfectly.

Harry chuckled at his friend too, glad Diablos never did that kind of thing and that Cissi had yet to arrive. He himself was dressed in emerald robes to match his eyes, and along the edges was silver lining.

"Oh my god Diablos you will never survive the night unless you tell me where you got that from!" Narcissa suddenly shrieked and they all turned around.

Diablos looked irritably at her but the others were too busy staring. He wore a silver robe with long arms but slits where his hands were, slits up his legs up to his waist so he could move easier on a battlefield and the robe was held together at the front with silver chains. He wore a black turtleneck shirt, a bit baggy black pants and knee-high boots with leather-strapping on them. Around his neck he wore a pendant.

"Nowhere special," he muttered as he walked down the stairs.

"Diablos," the woman growled.

"From a friend," Diablos said. "For you it's a formal robe but for the tribe my friend belongs to this is just a battle-robe."

"What tribe?" she demanded to know.

"Vampire tribe," the man said without hesitation. "My friend Orator insisted on many things; this was one of them."

"A vampire gave you that?" Lucius asked with wide eyes.

"Yes," Diablos said and stopped in front of them. "Is that so strange?"

"Vampires normally don't associate with humans," the blonde man said.

"Well, Orator does. Or at least he associate with me."

"Enough talking!" Joanne said. "Dinner is ready!"

-

Diablos watched the Muggles fireworks, heard the children laugh and chat from his spot in the shadows. Salerna had yet to find him. The raven-haired man needed a moment for himself though so the white-haired man could simply just have left him alone for a little while. Salerna always seemed to know when Diablos needed to be alone, and most of the time let him be.

The ritual would give him answers, some of which he already knew. Question is; did he want that person back to life? Diablos rubbed his eyes tiredly, feeling sick. He hated this… he hated all of it. All the lying, sneaking around, and the small feeling of dread of what to come. He did not want to know what would happen once it was all revealed.

He was not sure he could survive it, if it turned out badly.

-

Harry hugged Diablos tightly and said:

"You really should take the day off, Dia. You've been feeling down ever since you woke up."

"I will be fine," the man said.

"Dia…"

"I promise I will be fine," Diablos said. "I won't do anything hard today, okay."

"You promise?"

"I thought I just said that," the man said with a smile. Harry mock-glared at him. "Go on the train. I'll speak to you later."

"And asking you more about Tom Riddle won't help?"

"No, it won't," Diablos said. "Be careful about that. I mean it."

"Yeah I know. I'm not going to do anything risky, I promise."

"If you are anything like James, 'risky' is a concept you don't understand."

"Dia! I'm going to be careful!"

"If you say so."

Harry pouted at the man who only smiled and patted his head.

"Dia!"

"Go," the man said.

Harry laughed at him before running up to Hermione and Draco. They ran to the train to catch up with the others. Diablos looked after them before disappearing.

-

"We really need to do this now?"

Diablos glared at Orator who swallowed and continued:

"Alright, alright no need to glare at me like that… but you do realize the consequences."

"After the ritual is done, I still have to wait until April or May to speak with the person," Diablos said. "Doing it any later, and everything will be done in vain."

"Diablos… we are not talking about a wizard's ritual now. We are talking about ancient wizards, ancient vampires, my tribe… you have to have that blood to be able to do this one."

"I know."

"Don't tell me you have ancient wizard or ancient vampire blood stashed somewhere," the vampire said.

"Oh I have it stashed nicely. Ancient wizard that is."

"Where?"

Diablos simply stood there.

"Not following," Orator said, uncertain of what to do.

"The stash is right here," Diablos said, spreading his arms.

The vampire's eyes widened.

-

While he had missed his uncle, Harry had fun at school. Or as fun as you could have with everyone thinking you petrified people. It certainly did not get better when it was reported the Gryffindor ghost and a Muggle-born Hufflepuff student had been petrified.

"It wasn't you," Hermione said as Harry glared darkly at his book. "We were with you, here in the library while they were petrified on the second floor."

"Yeah, tell the rest of the school that," Harry muttered.

"It'll go away," Marcus said. "Just give them time to steam this off."

"It's just annoying the hell out of me," Harry complained.

"Can't your uncle do something?" Padma asked.

"It will just look strange," the boy said. "Dia told me to ignore them. That's what he did."

"What? Was he accused of something when he went to school?" Hermione asked.

"Listen. He was sorted into Slytherin, and his last name was Potter. The whole Gryffindor house hated him," Harry said.

"Just because his name was associated with the Light?" the bushy-haired girl said. "That's just so stupid!"

"And the Slytherins didn't like him either, saying he was a spy for the Gryffindors," Harry continued. "The Hufflepuffs were just scared of him, and the Ravenclaws ignored him."

"How did he survive it?" Draco asked. "Sounds like he was all alone."

"Give Dia a book he likes, and he will be fine," Harry said. "He had one or two friends I guess but his real first friend was Salerna. He met Salerna when he was seventeen or eighteen I think."

The others stared at him.

-

Diablos kneeled down, breathing deeply. A cold hand settled on his shoulder, and he appreciated the contact that kept him bound to reality.

"Come on," Orator said quietly, "let's get you up."

He rose slowly and his vision swam.

"You are going to rest for a while now," Orator said. "Not just one day off. At least a week."

"I don't have anything to blame on," Diablos mumbled as he let himself be led through dark corridors.

"Fatigue," Orator said, hoisting up the human better. "They just need to look at you to believe it."

Diablos had no sense of time or space. Definitely not doing this ritual on his own, ever. Not that he needed to do it anymore.

Orator stopped briefly and Diablos moaned at the sudden motion. He saw shapes around them but had no idea if they were really there or his brain was playing with him.

The next thing he was aware of was that he was put down onto a bed, and he breathed deeply. Smelled like his bedroom. Good. He rather not wake up in a coffin. Orator did not really need a coffin but said it was much more comfortable. Having slept in one once, Diablos was more than ready to disagree.

"Just sleep," Orator soothed, stroking the raven-haired man's forehead. He watched the tired red eyes blink owlishly before Diablos succumbed to sleep.

-

Severus was getting fairly annoyed with Lockhart. The man was back at harassing Harry, probably having recovered during the break and now back to trying to get famous through the boy. Harry had by now scared his friends shitless several times due to the fact that one moment he is there, the next he is gone. And there begins the search for the raven-haired boy who seemed to know the castle better than anyone.

At least Ginny had not done anything. She was still skittish and did not start stalking Harry again. Instead she just seemed to get sicker for each passing day. Something was going on with that bloody girl, but the potions master sure as hell was not going to care.

"Found you."

Harry looked up from his book as Severus sat down. Madam Pince gave an apologetic look at the boy before returning out to the library.

"Your reason for hiding in Madam Pince's office?" the potions master asked.

"She's good at scaring people," Harry replied. "You didn't get scared?"

"Just as long as I said I was looking for you on the behalf of your friends, and the fact that I am one of your Heads of House."

"True. Is Lockhart lurking around?"

"Not any longer. Your uncle sent a complaint," Severus said.

"Dia did?"

"Yeah. He was feeling a bit under the weather but he was healthy enough to send one."

"Feeling a bit under the weather?" Harry asked and closed the book. "What's wrong with him?"

"Tired," Severus said. "That's what the healers said."

"Who had him checked because I know he wouldn't go there by free will."

"The mother-hen."

"Oh… Salerna. Okay, what did he write in the complaint?"

"_Mister Dumbledore, get Lockhart away from my nephew or else I'll wring the fucking man's head off_, just phrased more nicely."

Harry laughed.

-

"He's back?" Salerna asked. "He's just been away for two days!"

"He was he was fine," Maria said. "And you know how hard it is to convince him to stay at home."

"Well, this time he did it on his own free will!"

The two were walking towards Diablos' classroom, Salerna upset that his friend was working himself to the ground. Maria was going there to make sure neither of her teachers got into a fight over this.

She would not have needed to. They both looked confused as a student came running.

"Emilia?" Maria asked, concerned. The young woman clutched her chest, tired of the running, and gasped out:

"Professor Potter just collapsed!"

-

Salerna was not quite sure where the adrenalin came from, but he was sure glad to have it as he flew down the corridor to his friend's classroom. Diablos was in trouble now. Big trouble. _Enormous_ trouble. The man was not leaving bed until Salerna's got at least ten healers saying it was alright.

Maria was running behind him, her face ashen with worry and a bit of fury. She would probably demand the same. For all her professional acting, she really cared about Diablos. All of the teachers did. Maybe it was because he was the youngest of them.

They came to the classroom and Salerna kneeled down next to Diablos' prone body. He checked for a pulse and his own heart began hammering in his chest when he realized it was far too slow. The raven-haired man's skin was a bit on the white side but it had been for days so it did not give Salerna any clues.

"Call the healers," he barked out to one of the students. "And hurry!"

He recognized her vaguely as being one of the moderate in his class, her name was Ginger. Ginger nodded and ran out of the room. He prayed she was fast enough. He might even consider praising her if the healers came quickly enough.

He carefully checked Diablos over, finding no outward sign of something being wrong. Maria sniffed quietly and the students around them were trying to hold their tears in.

Salerna leaned down and took Diablos' hand. He squeezed it gently, trying to show he was there even if Diablos was not awake. To his surprise, Diablos squeezed back.

"He's reacting at least," Salerna murmured.

"He is?" Maria asked.

Salerna nodded and looked out in the corridor, waiting for the healers. He looked down after a moment and swore loudly. The others snapped their heads down as they rarely heard him sounding angry and scared at the same time.

Blood was running from Diablos' nose. Salerna lifted the man up and tilted the head back. He dug out his wand and slowed the bleeding down. Diablos did not react.

"What's happening?" Maria asked.

"Honestly? I don't know."

-

Severus was completely disorientated as he and Harry came from the Floo at Lucius' home into the wizard hospital in Rome. Harry however knew the way and dragged his teacher through the different corridors.

They met up with Salerna only a few minutes after arrival. His face was almost as pale as his hair and he led them into a room nearby. Harry looked at the bed and bit back a whimper.

Diablos was pale, his dark hair making the skin appear white and he had dark rings underneath his eyes. There was dried blood around his nose, as they had not completely washed it away. Ramina stood bent over him, making a series of complex scans with a frown on her face.

"What's going on?" Harry asked her.

"He's lost a lot of magic and blood," she said grimly as she finished her scans. "I can't believe he's still alive."

"How much has he lost?" Salerna asked.

"One third of his blood and two thirds of his magic," Ramina replied as she wrung a cloth free from most of the water from a bowl nearby. She then gently cleaned the blood away from Diablos' face before continuing, "He needs to stay here for a day or two."

"What caused it?" the white-haired man demanded to know while Harry was staring wide-eyed at her.

"I can only speculate," she said. "My best guess is a ritual involving blood and magic. That would mean some kind of ancient magic and Blood magic combined."

-

Diablos opened his eyes slowly, uncertain of whom was going to scream at him first. And yes, he knew they would be screaming. After all, he should be lying in bed and resting and not going back to the school. He was never going to disobey Orator again. He rather liked lying in bed, so why had he suddenly gotten up and decided to go to school? To prove to someone he was not weak?

Well, he has just done one of the most powerful and dangerous rituals in history, so cut him some slack! Or maybe just hit him over the head for his stupidity… although Diablos rather liked the former than the latter.

He looked around the room and Harry was the first to notice he was awake.

"Dia!" he cried out and proceeded to jump into the bed, making 'Dia' groan quite pathetically.

"Diablos!" Oh, Ramina. She sounded surprised, angry and worried at the same time. Rather impressive.

"Diablos Potter!" Ouch… the mother-hen of doom; Salerna. He was never going to live this down.

"Yes, I am awake," he said but did not make any move to sit up. "And yes, I am aware of my stupidity so there is no need to remind me."

"Aware?! You are aware?!" Salerna shrieked. "Then why in the fucking hell did you even rise from your bed this morning?!"

"Because of my stupidity and my belief that I am an immortal," Diablos said tiredly. "Harry, I do love being hugged by you, but is there really the necessity to try to kill me?"

Harry released his grip slightly before burying his head into Diablos' chest once more. The man moved a hand slowly to lay it on Harry's head.

He did not complain about Ramina and her scans, but let her do what she wished to do. He promptly ignored Salerna for the time being.

"Well?" he asked as she finished. "How long rest do I need?"

"You're not going to complain?" she asked in surprise.

"I have now learned to never underestimate a wise vampire's words of rest, and am ready to rest as long as I need to," Diablos said. "I have found out I like lying in bed."

"Well, you need five days at the very least," she said. "I want to keep you here but… would you be more comfortable at home?"

"I believe so," Diablos said softly. "I have my very own mother-hen there, so don't worry about me trying to get up."

"Diablos…" Ramina said and sat down. "What did you do?"

"A favour," he said and thought for a bit. He needed a decent lie that would explain his current condition. "I asked a favour from a vampire, and he needed one in return."

"Orator?" Harry asked.

"Yes, Orator," Diablos said and stroke his nephew's hair. His arm was the only thing he actually could move except his head. "He was going to do a ritual that involved blood. Human blood. The amount he asked for was high, so he wished it from a friend who was willing."

"That doesn't explain the magic loss," Ramina said. "You lost two thirds of your magic."

"Did I?" Diablos feigned surprise. "Oh dear… maybe that was why everything was so blurry afterwards."

"How did you feel afterwards?" Ramina asked and looked at him.

"Like I was drunk and had been run over by a horde of Hippogriffs," he said and wrinkled his nose. "Not a pleasant condition I can assure you."

"Orator… what did he do?"

"He took me home, made me go to bed and left with the wise words 'don't leave that fucking bed for a week' which I kindly and stupidly ignored," the raven-haired man said with a sigh. "He will try to kill me once he finds out."

"Who says he will?" the raven-haired boy asked and looked up.

"Orator knows everything he wants to," Diablos said.

"Where is he?" the healer asked. "I wish to know what ritual he used."

'Oh dear…'

"I believe I can tell you that," came a silky voice, roughened by the accent, from the doorway. Diablos swallowed and rolled his head over to look there. He could feel his blood turn to ice.

Orator always looked quite dangerous when upset. And now he was _livid_. His whole frame was practically shaking in fury, and it seemed like someone had sucked all colour from his entire body. His eyes were shining eerily, making Diablos swallow.

"Of all the stupid things you have done in your life," the vampire hissed in his own language, a guttural speech that made all beside Diablos jump, "you just had to ignore my advice now."

While the others did not understand, Diablos did. He replied in the same guttural tone that made the others stare at him in shock:

"I beg for forgiveness, and wish you to realize I rarely listen to anyone's advice."

"Idiot," the vampire muttered under his breath as he stepped in. Out loud he directed his next words to Ramina, "The ritual I made, madam, has no name. It needs blood from a willing human but no magic. And yes, I heard your entire conversation so no need to look surprised. The ritual has a mind of its own, and can sometimes draw magic out. I am ashamed to tell I only kept notice of the blood, not Diablos' magic. May I speak to him in private?"

"If you wish but why?" Ramina asked as she helped Harry down. The boy glanced uncertainly at the vampire.

"Because it seems Diablos needs some very good advice," Orator all but growled out. He pointed a finger towards Diablos and continued with dark eyes, "And you are going to listen to them."

It was the first time Harry saw Diablos getting nervous and perhaps a bit frightened.

-

As soon as the door closed, Orator turned and looked at Diablos with wild eyes.

"You idiot!" he growled out and in the next moment his face was inches from Diablos'. Unwillingly, the red eyes widened slightly in fear. The vampire's hands were on each side of Diablos' head and he supported himself on his knees on each side of the human's hips. "Why didn't you listen?!"

"I don't know!" Diablos said, truthfully. "I felt fine when I woke up and thought I could handle it."

"Idiot!" Orator shouted and hit his fist on the pillow. "Never go against what I say! That ritual could have killed you!"

Diablos knew the others heard the vampire but could not find a voice to stop him. Orator had the right to be upset. Diablos felt tears in his eyes and tried to will them away. Why was it so hard for him to listen to someone? Why was it so hard to follow someone's advice? Why was it so _damn_ hard to let anyone care too much? Was it because of...? No. He did not want to think of that, not yet.

The vampire saw the tears and continued more softly:

"Did you not tell me once, you wished to see Harry grow up?"

"Yes," Diablos said, confused.

"That you wished to see him gain a family? Someone to love, children to raise?"

The man nodded.

"You won't see that if you keep this up," Orator said. "You know that."

Diablos shut his eyes tightly and said:

"I'm sorry."

"I know," Orator crooned to him, a cold hand stroking Diablos' cheek.

"I'm sorry," Diablos whispered, over and over again. It took Orator so little to break the normally stubborn man down.

Orator moved so he was lying on his side, and he pressed Diablos' head to his shoulder. He closed his own eyes and said:

"I know."

-

When Harry came into the room, Diablos was nearly asleep while waiting to be helped home. Orator had already left; how they had no idea or why they had no idea either. But Diablos had been quiet since then. They had heard Orator scream at the raven-haired man, so loudly that Ramina had wanted to go in and stop him. Salerna had stopped her and told her that no matter how painful it was Diablos had to learn to value his life more.

It was Harry who had caught what the vampire had said next. His eyes had widened when he heard it. Diablos wished to see him grow up and have a family. Diablos wanted him a good life. Harry was sure that was what the man had wanted all this time but he had never heard it out loud before.

"Harry?"

Diablos' quiet voice made the boy look up. Tired red eyes focused on him. The boy walked closer and, feeling a deeper understanding for his uncle for some reason, gently pressed a kiss to the man's temple.

"What's wrong?" the man asked.

"Nothing," Harry said. "You just scared me… again."

"I'm sorry," Diablos said. "I didn't think."

"Well, I think you will after Orator's lecture."

"Don't remind me," Diablos groaned. "Only he is able to make me feel like a stupid little child."

"Well, he's far older than you."

"And far noisier."

Harry carded his hands through his uncle's thick hair and whispered:

"I have to go back."

"I know," Diablos said. "I know that."

"Dia… I heard what Orator said. About what you wished."

Diablos' eyes widened.

"I knew you wanted that," Harry continued. "I can see it in your eyes. I just felt so happy when it was said aloud. I will grow up, I will have a family but most important of all is that you will always be my family."

Diablos shut his eyes. Harry was far too much like Orator for his taste and yet he liked it.

The raven-haired man lifted a hand and pulled Harry closer. He breathed in Harry's scent and said:

"You are my family too, Harry, and whatever the future brings… know this; I love you as my son and that will never change."

"No matter what happens?" Harry whispered.

"No matter what happens," Diablos confirmed.

-

"Was he okay?"

Harry looked at the group of people who had met him and Severus at the Entrance doors. Hermione and Padma hugged him tightly while Draco, Neville and the Weasley twins looked at him worriedly. Severus patted his shoulder and then went on his way.

"He's okay," Harry said as the girls released him. "He needs to rest for a few days before going back to work."

"What had happened?"

"Blood loss," the boy said as they walked down the corridor. "He had willingly given it up, but apparently some of his magic had been taken to hence the reason why he passed out. He hadn't given his body a chance to recover."

"But he will now?" Hermione asked.

"Trust me; if he doesn't he knows he will have the wrath of many people upon him," the raven-haired boy said. "He solemnly promised me to stay in bed as long as Ramina wanted him to."

-

"Comfortable much?" Salerna asked with a grin.

Diablos muttered something less nice at the man and turned away from the door, and the annoying light. Who the hell gave permission to light the hall??

"Come on, sleeping-beauty you need food," the white-haired man said as he walked into the room.

"Shut off the lights," Diablos moaned.

"Lights? That's the sun little one," Salerna said as he brushed away some hair from Diablos' face. The raven-haired man did not even twitch in annoyance at the nickname. Salerna continued, "Come on, I'll help you down to the dining hall."

"Wasn't I suppose to lie in bed?" the raven-haired man said, clinging to the warmth. He had no wish to leave it.

"You were allowed up for food and bathroom visits," the older man said. "So, up with you."

"Nooo…"

Salerna was unsure what to do with this Diablos. He was different than normal. Normally Diablos would never have _whined_ in his presence, much less squirming around the way he did now. Odd… but rather nice. Salerna liked this new Diablos and hoped this was a bit of his real self.

But he still needed food. The man ate little as it was and he could not eat all of his meals in the bed.

Salerna supported one of his knees on the bed and gently turned Diablos around. The raven-hared man tried a sleepy glare at him but Salerna had not been faced with Diablos' glares for a long time. Instead he found his friend's legs underneath the blankets, placed an arm around Diablos' shoulders and lifted him up with ease.

Diablos fought little against him, being far too tired to even attempt starting to kick around. Instead he gave in with a small sigh and rolled his head onto Salerna's shoulder.

-

"You think there is some kind of connection between Tom Riddle and the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked and looked at the Weasley twins with confusion in his eyes.

"Yeah," Fred said. "Listen; every time the Chamber is brought up Ginny goes ashen. Like she knows something she shouldn't."

"So we just have to find that connection," Harry said and thought for a while. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"We can try making Ginny talk about Tom," Fred said. "We'll say we're worried about her and how it's going with her friend."

"You can try but don't insist too much," Harry said. "Don't make her suspicious."

-

Salerna walked into the bedroom, intent to get Diablos down for lunch. However, there was no Diablos around. He looked around the room as he stepped in.

"Diablos?" he called out.

He stretched out his magic to feel the raven-haired man and the magic led him to the bathroom. Confused, he stepped inside.

Diablos was almost asleep in the bath, his head resting against the edge. Salerna walked into the bathroom with a faint smile at the sight, sat down near the man's head and felt the water. Warm. He shook Diablos' shoulder gently and the red eyes opened with a start.

"Only me," Salerna said. "You actually fell asleep in here?"

"Warm… and comfy." If that was an answer or just an observation Salerna would never know.

"And wet," the man added nonetheless. "You ready to get up? Hair all washed?"

Diablos nodded sleepily. Normally he would never have allowed Salerna to see him like this; hell he would not have let _anyone_ seen him like this but now he did not care. He knew they would not think less of him just because he showed some weakness from time to time.

Salerna drained the tub of water and got out a towel. He wrapped Diablos in it and the raven-haired man yawned as he carefully got out from the tub.

"How long have you been in there? The water should be cold."

"Dora made sure the water stayed warm as long as I wanted it to be," Diablos replied. "She had also put some clothes somewhere here…"

"Over there. I'll go out and wait for you. Don't dry your hair; I'll do it for you."

Diablos came out a few minutes later, dressed in faded black jeans and a red shirt. His hair was dripping water to the floor and Salerna smiled a bit. Trust Diablos to be able to walk half-asleep without bumping into anything.

He dried the younger man's hair and said:

"No shoes?"

Diablos shook his head.

"The floor is cold," the white-haired man reminded.

"Then I'll just have you warming it for me," Diablos declared as he walked to the door.

"How? By rolling out a warm carpet in front of you?"

"Yes, that would be very nice."

Salerna shook his head fondly. This Diablos he would definitely like.

"Cheeky brat."

Tbc…

* * *

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!! Yet another example of how uninspiring life can be! No inspiration around me, no fics getting written on! And I have so totally lost it all for A Different Life at the moment… I can't figure out what to write. I just sit there and stare at the screen for a half-hour before going off and sulking in a dark corner with some cookies to chew on.

Oh well… I FINALLY finished this on. FINALLY. Fucking finally.

Chapter 23: All the way to the ending of the second year. Lots of things unfolding, lots of truths being told and lots of power being showed. Harry and his friends encounter a Tom Riddle, who we all know just who he is, in a very _real _and solid shape. What will happen?

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	24. Chapter 23

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

I've been really, really bad at writing haven't I? I lost internet for about a week, and right now I'm going through what you call a depressing period, and I feel so stressed about everything. Whatever I do, I don't do it good enough or fast enough… working my ass off and it's never enough.

But I hope you enjoy this late chapter!

-

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Diablos held the piece of jewellery a bit away from his face. Odium and Arsenic watched him closely, until Arsenic finally said:

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes," Diablos replied. "This is what will give us the answers."

"We know most of them," Arsenic reminded.

"Yes, I am aware of that. We just need someone at our side if things work out badly."

-

"She's opening up to us."

"Is she?" Harry asked in surprise and looked at the Weasley twins. "Wow. I thought she would shy away."

"She's weird and scary, but it seems like she likes it that we talk to her," Fred said. "Although she sounds like mum at times, all talk about the light and dark. We haven't started asking about Tom yet; thought we would make her trust us some more."

"Good idea," the youngest of the three said. "How are things going otherwise?"

"Manageable," the two replied with identical sighs. "Ickle-Ronnie is an ass. Is he harassing you?"

"Not that much, but yeah he's getting his spirits back bit by bit."

"I think we have another plan to make," George said with a grin.

Harry grinned back; there was never a dull moment with the Weasley twins around.

-

Orator found Diablos lying on a couch in the living room, eyes half-lidded and the book he had been reading nearly falling down to the floor. The man looked very comfortable.

The vampire chuckled, glad that Diablos had finally started listening and drew a blanket around him. Diablos blinked sleepily as Orator removed the book and glanced up at the vampire.

"Finally following my advice, you foolish human," the vampire said, pleased.

Diablos muttered something and closed his eyes again. He turned to his side and rested his head on a pillow, intent to fall asleep. He ignored Orator's chuckling with purpose.

-

Harry was eagerly awaiting the pranks Fred and George seemed keen to pull on Ron, and a teacher. What teacher no one of their friends was allowed to know. The raven-haired boy looked forward to it.

But for now, History of Magic. Binns was a really boring teacher, and to add to the fact he also was a ghost. Harry however tried to listen, and sometimes he even managed to remember a thing or two the ghost had said. Hermione of course took notes on it all, and she was nice enough to let them look when they did not quite catch what Binns said. This was naturally almost every class as they rarely managed to listen for more than five minutes. The boy could not for his life understand how Diablos even liked this class.

Harry was relieved that History of Magic was his last class for the day, a Thursday. Tomorrow would be an easy Friday and then weekend! He looked forward to it, but right now he looked forward to a chat with his uncle.

Padma and Hermione were going to the library so Harry waved them off together with Draco before they went to the Slytherin common room. It was only three in the afternoon, and the boys did not quite feel for doing the assignment professor Binns had given. They promised the bushy-haired girl to do it the next day and she was satisfied with that.

Harry threw himself on the bed and got out the two-way mirror. He knew Diablos was home today as well, but he was going back to work the next day. Hoping he was not going to wake the man, he opened it.

"Hello Harry."

"Did I wake you?" Harry asked.

"No, I woke up hours ago," Diablos said.

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing much. Found a few books I haven't read so that'll keep me occupied for a few weeks."

"Where did you find them?" Harry asked, surprised. "I thought you knew the manor in an out."

"Well… they were in a box."

"A box?"

"Yes, a box," Diablos said.

"What kind of box?"

"A wooden one actually."

"Didn't mean that! Who did it belong to?" Harry elaborated his question, fully knowing Diablos was teasing him.

"My mother. Your grandmother."

"Oh… was it her books?"

"Yes, they were," Diablos said. "I had nearly forgotten them."

"What are they about?" the boy asked, curios as he lay down on his bed comfortably.

"One is history," the man said and looked through the books he had retrieved from the wooden box. "Then one is filled with cooking advises… do you think Dora will be upset if I give it to her?"

"Just make sure you don't insult her cooking skills."

"Merlin no, I'm not suicidal…"

Harry laughed at it, and Diablos rolled his eyes. He continued looking through them and said:

"Mother liked Charms, so most of them are on Charms. But there are a few Transfiguration books, and even one about Animagi."

"About Animagi, Dia… are you one?"

"An Animagus?"

"Yeah."

"No, I'm not," the man said. "I never really had the patience for that."

"But why did grandmother have one about Animagi?" the raven-haired boy asked.

"She had a son who was one."

"Yeah, but did she know that?" Harry asked in surprise. He was sure it was a secret althought Diablos seemed to have been well-aware of it all the time.

"She knew a lot of things she probably never told me or James," Diablos said. "She was our mother after all; mothers know more than they tell."

"Bad experience with the mother-hen?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Which one of them; I seem to have several now."

"Which ones can I choose between?"

"The three at the top; Salerna, Dora and Orator."

"Hmm… I think you've had quite a few bad experiences with those three lately."

"Tell me about it…" Diablos muttered, and his nephew laughed again. "Well, that's about it. You wish to have a look at the Transfiguration books when you get back?"

"Yeah! Might need to look at the Charms books though; I need all help I can get."

"It's not that hard is it?" Diablos asked.

"No, it's not that it's too hard… I just am not as talented with Charms as say you were in my age."

"Harry, don't compare you to me. I think you are doing excellent in Charms."

Harry's heart warmed; Diablos' praise was something he always sought after. Also he liked it when his uncle said never to compare himself with him, as Harry was well aware Diablos was a bright student.

"Well, I still want to have a look," Harry said. "What about you? You even need to read them?"

"The one about Animagi sounded interested. I might borrow it to Sirius after I'm done," the raven-haired man said. "Charms and Transfigurations books never get boring, so I don't mind reading about things I know."

"Bookworm."

"Speak for yourself, brat."

-

"It was great, wasn't it?!"

Harry laughed along with the others and nodded. Fred and George made a victory-dance in the snow, laughing as well.

The prank involving Ron had been turning the redheaded boy into a goblin that sprouted out insults at random moments. It had been hilarious and Madam Pomfrey had turned a bit blue in her face to avoid from laughing as she escorted the turned boy to the Infirmary. Dumbledore had looked furious but the other teachers had a hard time staying as serious at the sight of the turned boy.

"When is the prank on the teacher?" Harry asked.

"Not yet. Haven't gotten all we needed," Fred answered and grinned.

"What?"

"We need to have some things for it, and we don't have it yet. Don't worry though; we have a reliable source…" the two of them said simultaneously and grinned wider.

-

Diablos stirred the cauldron, sighing deeply. Stirring a potion for an hour was a bit boring. He was not interested in the book he had, and was now reciting his following lessons the next week to draw away his attention from his aching wrist. He had stirred for 56 minutes, so only four minutes left.

"You look incredible bored."

Diablos did not bother turn his head as Arsenic sat down next to him.

"Who is that for?" she asked, pointing at the cauldron.

"A request from someone," Diablos said. "Harry's friends are planning a spectacular prank on the teacher that annoys them the most at the moment."

"And who is that?"

"I am not quite sure," Diablos said. "Lockhart has given up mostly after my letter, but there are more teachers that are on Dumbledore's side."

The woman started shaking at the mere mention of the man's name. Diablos glanced over at her and then put a hand on her shoulder. Immediately she ceased the shaking but she was still furious.

"That man… I will enjoy his death very much," Arsenic said and grinned rather crazily.

-

Fred and George stormed into the potions classroom where their friends were. Harry and Hermione looked up, startled, from their books and Draco, Padma and Neville stopped talking. Coran woke up and hissed irritably but a pat from the raven-haired boy made the snake relax although he hissed a few curses to the twins. Harry's mouth twitched into a small smile at the snake's antics before he turned to Fred and George.

The potions master had realized his classroom was going to be occupied by the children that evening, and had merely locked himself in his office to get away. If Harry strained his ears, and asked everyone to be quiet, he would be able to hear the scratching of a quill. Seeing it reminded him of Diablos when the man corrected his students' works, Harry preferred not to hear it. It would make him miss the man too much.

"What's wrong?" the raven-haired boy asked the twins, seemingly as no one else would do it.

"Professor Sprout is an idiot!" they burst out simultaneously. "She's getting it!"

The five other children looked at each other, then at the Weasleys and Neville eventually dared to ask, albeit hesitantly:

"It?"

The Weasley twins only grinned, therefore freaking the rest out even more.

-

It happened the next day when it was time for dinner. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Padma and Neville had looked for any signs of the prank being started, but Fred and George had not given them much to go on.

Harry chewed on a carrot, sitting next to Marcus who by now was used to glare at whoever looked at Harry the wrong way. The raven-haired boy wondered briefly if his uncle had managed to get a hold of the Quidditch captain and convince him to glare at everyone. Or maybe just Marcus had gone into a protective nature, and was the perfect big bad brother that would protect them. Harry would not complain about that, if he was to be honest.

Miles only watched at the older teen for a little while, then shook his head and returned to his dinner. Harry looked over at his three friends, but they shrugged lightly to say they did not see anything strange. Coran hissed absently from his spot around Harry's neck, hidden underneath the robes. No one around the boy reacted, as they had grown used to the snake's randomized hissings.

A large puff surrounding professor Sprout made all of the students and teachers alert. Even the teachers that knew who did the pranking seemed surprised, which suggested Fred and George had not really told anyone what they would do. Harry waited anxiously what would happen.

As the smoke cleared, the woman just sat there. Suddenly she whipped her head to the side. Her eyes were wide, and she was following something that no one else seemed to see.

A few moments later, she got up and ran screaming out of the room, leaving all of them gaping after her until laughter broke out. Madam Pomfrey, as usual, jumped up and followed the woman; no need to let the professor run hysterical around the school.

Harry looked over at the Weasley twins who only snickered to themselves.

-

"Alright, what did you two do?"

Severus looked at Fred and George, not unkindly but rather curious. The rest of the children agreed with the potions master, surrounding the two. Fred looked at George who nodded and then Fred spoke up:

"She was hypnotised."

"Hypnotised?" the potions master said, eyebrows raised. "Not for long I hope; she is still needed for the Mandrakes to get the petrified back to normal."

"Don't worry; she'll be fine in a few days," George said.

"How did you do it?" Severus asked.

"The usual way. A potion," they replied simultaneously.

"Does that mean…?" Harry said and they grinned.

"Yep! Your uncle made it for us, but he did say he was not the one who invented it. Never told us who but promised to thank that person from us."

-

"Isn't that my potion?"

Diablos looked over at Odium who pointed at the paper.

"Yes," Diablos said. "Harry's 'evil' twins needed it for payback."

"Oh, the well-known Weasley twins?"

"Not well-known. I've talked about them."

"Yes, but they seem rather well-known at Hogwarts."

"Probably," the raven-haired man agreed and put the paper away. "As for now, I don't need it. Why are you here?"

"Cannot a normal man visit a friend?"

"You are far from a normal man," Diablos said and glanced at Odium. Said man smiled and draped his arms around the smaller man's shoulders, looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

"Essays? How utterly boring…"

"Well, that's what I do. Speak, teach, make students write essays," Diablos said.

"You never wanted to teach someone, yet you were perfect for it."

"I enjoy teaching now," the man protested weakly, trying to shake off Odium's arms.

"I know," Odium replied as he straightened up. "Just talking to pass some boring time."

"Yes, I think you've mentioned that. Go and harass Arsenic."

"Already tried."

"Do I want to know what happened?"

"She threw acid at me," Odium whined as he sat down. Diablos always found it funny when he saw the man across his desk whined like a spoiled brat.

"Well, how good that you are what you are," the raven-haired man replied.

"It still hurts you know," Odium said with a small glare. "I am not completely without my senses of what hurts and what does not hurt."

"Fine, fine, let me see how bad it is… you big whiner."

"Am not."

"Are to."

"Am not!"

"Are to, and now shut up."

-

Harry looked around the Great Hall, feeling Draco's presence right behind him, one of the pale hands tightly on his shoulder.

Another incident. More victims. Everyone believed it had been Harry up until now; now too many had seen Harry as the people had gotten petrified. Dumbledore had told them all to stay in the Great Hall for the night while the teachers checked the school if they could find any culprit. So here they sat, their little group in one of the corners.

Draco's hand tugged him to turn around, to shut the rest of the world out. He held the two-way mirror tightly in his hand, thinking if he needed Diablos really quick, the man was just a shout away. Well, there was always the issue _how_ Diablos would be able to come from Italy to England within a short amount of time (if he does not go through Malfoy Manor, Apparate to Hogsmeade and run all the way to Hogwarts) but the man had said if he needed help just call through the mirror. In some ways, Harry hoped he never had to do that.

"This is actually getting really freaky," Hermione mumbled. "I can't for my life figure out what's going on…"

"Something that petrifies…" George mumbled. "Please, I suck at things like this."

"Well, at least it isn't Harry," Fred said. "Though we knew that already."

"Oh, I wish I could go to the library!" Hermione said, frustrated. Harry had to smile at that as he was placed between the Weasley twins. Only Hermione would ignore danger to solve a mystery.

"Well, I think that can wait until morning," he replied to her.

She did not look satisfied but was interrupted with the headmaster coming back and announcing they would continue search. He appointed McGonagall as the watcher for the night before conjuring mattresses and blankets for them all and then left with Severus and Lockhart.

Fred and George dragged mattresses over to their friends and they got ready to sleep some. As there were not enough mattresses for each of them they had to share with each other. As Harry laid down Draco settled down behind him, the blonde laying a protective arm around the raven-haired one's waist and drawing the blanket up to cover both of them. One of Harry's hands still held the mirror and he clutched it against his chest.

Just in case, you know.

-

They never found who did it and they students were allowed to have a day off. Hermione dragged the others to the library and set them to work. They claimed the table the furthest away from the rest of the library, a secluded corner where some books laid. Harry eyed them curiously; it was so dusty here that probably Madam Pince had not been there for years. As he had retrieved a couple of books to flip through to satisfy Hermione's curiosity he took one of the books and dusted it off.

It was a Charms book. He opened it and flipped through the pages. It had been well-used, and marked with age. And then he came across notes written on the pages. It was a rather nice writing, and adding small things to almost each paragraph in the book. Harry frowned after a while; he recognized this handwriting…

He figured it out, and he dropped the book while staring at the handwriting. This was something he did not expect.

Diablos. It was his uncle's handwriting. He stared on the page after that and then began flipping through. His uncle had added something each page it looked like. How old could he have been when he did this? It was a fourth-year book from what Harry could gather, so he maybe was fourteen. A quick decision and the book slipped into Harry's bag before he checked the other books that had laid there ever since his uncle went in school.

-

_It was cold, and dark. The child's eyes were wide, the small body trying to curl up as much as possible, trying to hide from the others. It was raining, the streets were slippery and people hurried past this place. Neither Diagon Alley nor Knockturn Alley but in between, the places where witches and wizards had fallen out of grace, fallen into Muggle drugs or alcohol._

_Diablos was not sure why he was there. He knew his parents had left him there, or was someone of the broken people in this place. He was only two but still felt this was the end of life. He would never get away from there, he was sure of it. _

_This place had been the only thing he knew. From the moment he was born, he had been here. Or he did not really know. He barely remembered anything before this moment; everything was so blurry. But he had felt this coldness all the time. The coldness of being left alone to die._

_His body shivered, the tattered rags not giving him any kind of warmth that he needed. He curled up tighter, placing his small and fragile hands over his ears to shut out the noise. His body rocked back and forth, back and forth._

_Was no one going to help him? Was he going to die here?_

Diablos shot up from the bed, clutching his chest. His eyes were wide and he felt hot yet cold. He threw the covers off and got up from the bed, staggering and catching himself against the wall. He stumbled out from his room and was met with Dora's worried gaze.

"Master…" she said quietly and took one of his hands.

He slowly sank down on the floor and took a deep breath. He was not there anymore, he was no longer a small child, he was safe, he was safe, _he was safe_…

Hands cradled his face, his own covering the house-elf's small and thin ones.

"It's alright, master," Dora said. "There is nothing dangerous here, master. Just Dora and master, Dora made sure of that."

He closed his eyes. He was not calming down. He _needed_ someone there… someone more than just Dora. Before when facing his nightmares, he did it alone in the dark, hyperventilating until he either calmed down or passed out. Could he really get courage and start acting like one usually did when faced with a nightmare from your past?

"Dora…" The name came slowly, and he had to swallow several times before he could continue, "Would you mind… calling Salerna… for me?"

Dora petted his cheeks for a few moments and then said:

"Of course not, master. Dora will bring master white-hair. Just wait here, master."

She added a warming spell on the floor, keeping Diablos warm before rushing away. He sat in the hall, huddled against the wall and his body shaking. Just like he had done when he was two… no, not going back there. He had left that hell long ago; he was not going to return there. His head sank down on his forearms that rested on his knees and he remained there until Salerna got there.

The white-haired man swept the robe tighter around himself and kneeled down. He gently got Diablos to rest against him and said quietly:

"It's okay, Diablos. You're okay."

It had been a long time since Diablos had let himself be comforted from his dreams. The last one who had done that was actually John; Diablos had been seventeen and dreamt about Sirius dying in the attack of the school instead of himself managing to get a hole through his chest. John had actually held him until he had fallen asleep again. Mary had been gone that night; that was the reason why John had come and not her.

Diablos let himself be led back to the bedroom and settled down underneath the covers again. Salerna sat down by the edge and watched the pale face. His hand absently reached out and stroke away some of the hair from Diablos' face.

"Should I be shocked?" the man asked with a smile.

"For what?" Diablos replied with.

"That you even called me."

"I just… I just didn't want to spend the night hyperventilating."

"You have nightmares a lot?" Salerna said, using this to fish some information.

"… Sometimes," Diablos replied. "It got better as Harry got older. This is the first one in years it feels like."

"What was it about?" Salerna continued with. He supported himself on one arm on the other side of the man, petting the raven hair in a calming motion. He used a soft voice to make Diablos sleepier and hopefully the raven-haired man would fall asleep without much problem.

"I dreamt… about when I was two," the younger one said, staring into space. "When… no, before is the word… before Mary and John found me."

_Uh-__oh. _

"Was it that bad?"

"Kinda," Diablos said. "It was always so cold… and I was always alone, and had to feel scared…"

Salerna hushed him, not caring he was currently treating a fellow teacher as a small child but instead trying to make Diablos feel safe like a small child should feel. No doubt would the raven-haired man chase him down for this, but Salerna did not care. All he wanted was to get the strange emotion away from Diablos' eyes.

Said man was beginning to feel sleepy again and looked at Salerna with half-lidded eyes. Salerna himself stroke down the side of Diablos' face and smiled a bit.

"Close your eyes now, and sleep. I will be here, don't worry about that."

Before the red-eyed man could do anything, he was asleep again.

-

"I got it!"

The excited whisper Hermione gave them made them all perk up. It was in the middle of May and they had searched for clues for a long time without result. Draco and Harry could not make Diablos or Lucius talk, Fred and George had not been able to get anything out of Ginny except she seemed obsessed with her friend and generally they had no idea what to look for.

"Well, what is it?" Fred asked.

"Come closer."

They all huddled together, their heads close to Hermione. She smiled and showed them a book. She opened it in her lap and pointed at an old text.

"A Basilisk," she said proudly.

"A what?" Padma said.

"Yeah, a what?" the twins agreed and Neville nodded. Draco looked thoughtful out when Harry said:

"The greatest of all serpents existing on this planet."

"Exactly," Hermione said. "Huge serpents that can live for centuries, with killing eyes."

"Killing eyes?" Neville said.

"If they look you in the eyes, you die," Harry supplied. "But no one has died."

"Maybe no one looked the Basilisk in the eyes," the blonde said. "At least not directly."

"Mrs Norris was the first, right?" Harry said and they all nodded. "Dia mentioned it was water everywhere. Maybe she looked at the reflection."

"Just like the student looked through the ghost from Gryffindor," Padma said. "And let's face it… a ghost can't die again."

"It all fits," Hermione said. "It says further spiders fears them… so that explains why there has been so little of them lately."

"Now when you mention it," Draco said. "Normally they would be everywhere. Now I haven't seen one in weeks."

"But who could control a Basilisk?" Harry asked quietly not to wake up Coran. The snake sniffed in its' sleep and curled up tighter around the boy's neck, wanting more warmth.

"A person who understands Parseltongue," Hermione said. "Someone a suggestion?"

"Sorry but I only know Harry," Fred said sarcastically. "Let me get back to you."

She smacked him on the arm.

-

"Should I be running for my life?"

Diablos looked at Salerna who looked ready to bolt.

"For what?" Diablos asked.

"For what happened yesterday," Salerna said and took a step backwards.

"Why should you run?" the man asked. "Stop acting ridiculous and buy me lunch; I don't have any money."

Salerna gaped.

-

When Ron ran screaming out from the Great Hall Harry turned to Fred and George who sat by the Ravenclaw table and said:

"Alright, your doing?"

"Why do you think so?" Fred said innocently.

"Yes," George said. "We are not that mean."

"Liars," Hermione commented as she read her book. "What did he see?"

"Dunno," the twins said with a shrug. "Don't care."

"Heartless," Draco added before taking a sip of his goblet.

-

Diablos opened the mirror to see Harry. He looked over once at his class and saw them working quietly and then turned back to his nephew.

"What makes me the honour today?" the man asked.

"Just wanted to see you," Harry said.

"Just that?"

"Well… we want to ask you something."

"About what?"

"Basilisks at Hogwarts."

Diablos wandlessly threw a Silencing Charm around himself and looked at the boy. He heard Draco and Padma in the background and figured everyone was listening to what he said.

"I wasn't aware the Basilisk at Hogwarts had woken up," he said smoothly.

"Did you know it was one there?!" Harry shrieked.

"Of course I knew," Diablos said. "I understand Parseltongue Harry. I heard it a few times during my school years."

Harry stared into the mirror. The others stared at him.

"Did you know it was the one who petrified all these people?" he asked.

"No," Diablos lied. "What I had read about Basilisks was that they killed with their eyes, not petrified people."

"No one looked into their eyes directly," Harry said. "Dia, we have to stop that Basilisk."

"You don't even know where it is," Diablos said and felt his heart stop for a moment. "Harry… you can't just take on a Basilisk on your own."

"But we are a whole group! If you know where it is, then please tell us before someone gets killed!"

Diablos looked at his nephew for a long time and then said:

"No, I won't tell you. I've met that Basilisk, and I'm telling you that creature will kill you without hesitating."

"Then how did you survive?!" Harry nearly shouted.

"I ran for my life," Diablos said. "And it was nearly not enough. Harry, don't be foolish."

"Dia, the Basilisk maybe will kill someone in the end. It has to be stopped somehow."

"Maybe, but you are not the one who controls it," Diablos said. "Only the one who controls it can stop it, if the willpower is strong enough."

"The one who controls the Basilisk?" Harry questioned, confused.

"Do you think it's trying to kill for fun?" Diablos asked. "Basilisks aren't like that in nature. They try to survive; the Basilisk there is either control or has gone completely mad."

"Dia… please."

"Find the one who controls it," he said. "I'm not telling anything more."

"But we don't know who it is!" Harry said in desperation. He had thought Diablos would cooperate more than this but he was trying to steer them away from solving this danger.

"That person is closer than you think," the raven-haired man said.

"Do you know who it is?!" Fred and George interrupted, taking the mirror from Harry. "Come on, sir, tell us!"

Diablos sighed and dropped his head for a moment. He glanced over his class for a moment, and saw no one was focusing on him. He looked to the mirror again and said:

"No."

Then he closed the mirror.

-

They were not angry with Diablos' actions but confused and perhaps a bit scared of his behaviour. Ever since then he refused to talk anything about Basilisks and petrified people.

May began to pass into June, and no answers showed up despite all their efforts. No one could help them since no one knew, and the only one who knew refused to speak. It was a few days before the exams for the year when the unthinkable happened.

They were going to watch the Quidditch game when teachers came and stopped it. Harry was confused and looked around. What had happened? He saw Severus come, whiter than normal and he seemed focused to come to them.

"Come," he said. "There has been an incident."

They followed, confused. Harry looked around. Several of his friends were missing but where were they?

As they closed in on the Infirmary, Severus spoke again:

"I don't know why this happened, but I will do my best to protect you."

"What has happened?" Harry asked but the potions master did not answer. As they entered the Infirmary, Poppy turned to look at them. She seemed to have been crying. As they came closer they saw why. Harry stopped in shock.

Neville's and George's eyes were wide-open, both of their bodies frozen in a stiff position.

"We found them in the Entrance hall," Poppy said. "Why weren't they with you?"

"Neville was late, and George offered to find him," Fred said weakly.

Harry felt anger blossom, and not only on the Basilisk and the one who controlled it but also on Diablos. He had not told them and that was the reason why two of his friends were petrified.

"This has to stop," Poppy said. "This just has to stop."

"No one knows who does this," Severus said. "How are we supposed to stop it then?"

Harry turned around and stalked out, his hand clutching the mirror. It was time to confront his uncle.

-

"Dia. You are going to tell me who it is right now."

Diablos looked at his nephew and saw something flicker in the boy's eyes. _Fear_. Harry was scared yet so angry. The man stopped writing and said:

"What happened?"

"Thanks to that you refused to talk, Nev and George became petrified!" Harry screamed and the man heard others in the background, trying to calm his nephew down.

For him a stone landed in his stomach and made him feel nauseous. He took a few deep breaths and said:

"I did not think something would happen."

"Well it did!" Harry shouted. "You are going to tell us right this moment, or else I won't forgive you ever!"

"Harry, calm down!" Hermione screamed in the background.

"He had a reason!" Draco tried with, and Padma nodded fervently.

"Come on, it wasn't like he wanted them to be petrified!" Fred said. "He would never do anything like that!"

Diablos kept silent as the faces disappeared and he heard only voices. His mind was swimming and he had to place the mirror on the desk. His hands were shaking as he took deep breaths. Harry would never forgive him… but he could not tell. He could not, because that would make him do rash decisions. And he did not want anyone of them to be harmed, yet now two had been.

A cold hand settled on his shoulder, forcing him to sit straight. One arm wound itself around his middle and Odium's hair tickled his cheek.

"Calm down," the man hissed. "I could feel your panic from miles away."

Diablos closed his eyes and Odium seemed to listen to the voices in the mirror.

"Tell them," Odium said. "I can already feel her down there. It will all end tonight."

Diablos turned and stared wide-eyed at the man. The man himself grabbed the mirror and roared into it:

"The one who is controlling the Basilisk is Ginny Weasley on the orders from Tom Riddle! The place she is in right now is the Chamber of Secrets, the entrance to it located at the girl's bathroom on the second floor!"

-

Everyone went still the moment the unknown voice roared the information they wanted out. Then the mirror went black. They all stared at the mirror in Harry's hand and then Fred said weakly:

"Ginny?"

-

Lucius was shaking from top to toe as he kneeled by Ginny's body. The girl was barely breathing, her pulse weak. The form appeared behind the man and a voice:

"What's wrong, _Lucius_?"

The man turned around and bowed his head.

"M… my lord," he stammered out.

Voldemort in young form grinned like crazy. Soon he would be back.

-

They took the stairs in three up to the bathroom. They rushed in there and everyone started to look around.

"Where could it be?" Draco said as he turned around.

"I want to know who Tom Riddle really is," Fred said as he scanned the walls for any sign for an entrance.

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough," Harry said as he placed the mirror in his pocket. He had no idea who the other man had been, the one who had told them what they needed to know… he wondered briefly if his uncle had approved of it. Probably not.

"Wait! Look!" Hermione said. "It's a picture of a snake!"

She was looking closely at one of the sinks and pointed to where she saw the symbol. They all rushed up there and Fred asked the oblivious question:

"How are we supposed to open it?"

"Maybe Parseltongue?" Padma said and they turned to Harry. Coran looked at them and said:

"_What the hell are they lookin' at?"_

"Eeh, I can try," Harry said. He came closer and said, _"Hello."_

It did not happen anything. Coran smacked the boy over the head and said:

"_Say 'open' idiot!"_

"Alright… _open_."

The sinks trembled before beginning to move outwards. They all stepped back and now Hermione said:

"Is this really a good idea?"

"… Probably not," Harry said.

-

"Why did you tell them?"

"The plan was not like this, but now we can set out a lot of things," Odium said. "Like telling him the Prophecy is false, telling him that Harry is not a threat. Or do you rather want your nephew to be under a constant threat that he will be killed? If Voldemort attacks him constantly, Dumbledore will manage to pull some sort of fucking strings so Harry will be removed from you, and you probably thrown to die."

"You didn't have to tell them!" Diablos hissed. "We're going there now!"

"Be ready with the information from him," Odium said.

Diablos touched the necklace that was around his neck and Odium's eyes widened.

"You wear it with you?" Odium said in disbelief.

Diablos sighed and looked at him.

"It's not like he can possess me," the man replied. "But if I need to talk to someone, he's always there."

"It's dangerous!" Odium hissed.

"And I need to go to Hogwarts now. You stay here," Diablos said.

"Harry would like to know who knew beside you," Odium said. "You have to tell him."

"Not today," the raven-haired man. "He isn't ready."

With that he stormed out of the room. Left behind was the white-haired man who smiled sadly and said to the empty room:

"Is it him or you who are not ready?"

-

They ran through the corridor, their steps echoing in around the damp place. Harry could feel his heart race in his throat and right now he wished they had not gone down. He rather would have stayed and let everything happen.

But they all wanted to know who Tom Riddle was, and if they could save Ginny. She may be freaky, but she was still only a child. She could still change, although it seemed impossible right now. If she had died when they got there… the boy glanced over at Fred. The teen was grim, worried for his brother and for Ginny; she still was their little sister. She had been okay before Dumbledore started interfering, and before Molly's and Arthur's lectures.

"Not another door!" Hermione moaned out.

They stared up at the giant gate with snakes surrounding it. Harry stepped forward and hissed out:

"_Open."_

The giant door gave out a creak and opened slowly. Light streamed from the room within and they all shielded their eyes. When they could look again, all of them could only stare.

Lord Voldemort grinned at them and said:

"Well, well… welcome little ones."

-

Diablos felt his heart stop as the black magic alerted him Harry and Voldemort were in the same room. The necklace he wore vibrated and he stopped running in order to focus. He called on the seals he had put on the two-way mirror he had given Harry and forced them to act.

Slowly he began to dissolve into thin air, hoping he would come in time.

-

"Voldemort," Harry said calmly.

"Harry Potter," the man said with an even wider grin. They saw Lucius and a few others in the room and behind them all, in front of the statue of Salazar Slytherin, lay the still body of Ginny Weasley. Harry could feel Fred's shock. The Dark Lord continued, "How did you and your little friends know I was here?"

"We didn't," the boy answered. "So I guess your real name is Tom Riddle?"

The Dark Lord's jaw clenched.

"How did you know?" he growled.

"Research, although we didn't connect that name with you," Harry reassured. "But then how did Dia know your name?"

"Dia? You mean Diablos, that uncle of yours I have heard about? Well, no matter; soon you will be dead anyway."

"Dad…" Draco whispered. Lucius dared to look at them and his face was white. They saw another one of the figures was Severus but he did not look up.

"Harry, call on your uncle!" Hermione hissed. "Didn't you tell us the Prophecy was fake?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, it seems Voldemort doesn't know that!"

Harry realized this as Voldemort turned to order someone get his wand. The children were desperate, knowing they stood no chance against the Dark Lord but Draco was unable to do anything besides staring at his father. Lucius seemed terrified, not daring to utter a word wrong in the Dark Lord's presence. Harry realized they needed help and that fast but as he reached for his two-way mirror said mirror began to give off smoke. The children turned to stare at Harry who held the mirror up, black smoke billowing out and around. The figures beside Severus and Lucius reached for their wands and Draco finally woke up.

"Former Death Eaters," the blonde boy hissed. "Or rather current Death Eaters."

Voldemort grabbed his wand from one of the Death Eaters but stared as the smoke began to shape a form. Harry stared at it as he began to recognize the shape, saw how the smoke formed into the spiky hair, the black robes and to finally show those red eyes…

"Dia," he whispered.

Diablos placed himself in front of the children and looked at Voldemort without hesitation. Said man appeared to be a bit shocked.

"Touch them," the raven-haired said deathly calmly, "and I will rip your throat out with my bare hands."

"Diablos Potter," Voldemort said. "Why are you here?"

"Because you need to know a thing or two. But first of all, take a good long look at my face, and tell me where you have seen me before."

"What?? I haven't seen you---" Voldemort stopped, and his eyes widened. The red eyes, the face, the voice. All of it fell into place, and his wand arm lowered without him really being aware of it. He then said weakly, "It was you… you who saved me from the Philosopher's Stone."

-

"What?" Harry managed. "What, Dia? What is he talking about?"

"Dumbledore knew you would try, and hoped you would," Diablos said. "Talk about a classic trap. He was waiting for you, he knew you would try. I wouldn't let you die so he could win. I may not like you, but I hate Dumbledore more than I hate you."

Voldemort continued to stare, as did the others.

"Then… what do you want? I'm going to kill your nephew," Voldemort said.

"Please, don't tell me you fell for a Prophecy that wasn't even true," Diablos said.

"Liar!" the Dark Lord said, his eyes growing darker with anger.

"I'm lying as much as when I say seven is the magic number for you."

Everyone got confused except for Voldemort. He stiffened, and he looked at Diablos in wonder.

"How…?" he managed weakly. This bloody man in front of him shocked him too many times for his own comfort. He was a Dark Lord damnit! "How did you know that?"

"I know a lot of things," Diablos said. "Many of which I probably shouldn't. But please do me a favour and find a better hiding place for the ring; even someone like Dumbledore would be able to figure it out."

Here Voldemort's eyes nearly bulged out and he choked on his breath.

"What?" Diablos said. "You rather have yourself destroyed piece by piece? And don't punish Lucius for dropping the diary into Ginny's book; he didn't think it was that important."

"Stop it!" Voldemort shouted. "How do you know all this?!"

"Through listening," the man said. "Now listen to what I have to say."

The Dark Lord thought this through.

"If you can land a hit on me, I will. Otherwise I will have your head."

"My lord!" Lucius said.

"Silence!"

"Fine," Diablos said. "But don't start crying when I beat you to the ground."

"You, beating the Dark Lord to the ground?" Voldemort said with a laugh. "Show me!"

"Dia!"

Diablos turned to the children as he shrugged off his robe.

"I'll be fine, stay right here at this spot so you won't get injured."

"How did you manage to get through the mirror?" Harry asked.

"I told you I would come if you needed me."

"But I hadn't called on you!"

"My gut told me you needed me. Fred, don't worry; Ginny will be fine."

"Did you know it was her all along?" Fred asked.

"I was hoping it wasn't her," Diablos said. "But she will be fine."

"If only she was away from our parents and Dumbledore she would be fine."

"Let's deal with that later," the raven-haired man said and gave his robe to Harry. "Keep that one safe for me until I get back, okay?"

"You are going to fight against the Dark Lord!" Harry hissed. "No one has ever won!"

"Don't worry, Harry," the man said with a sunny smile. "I won't play serious with him."

"Huh?" was the children's intelligent answer as he turned around.

Voldemort looked the man over. Thin, long, maybe not so strong and fast but underneath hid a genius. But the Dark Lord had never lost and would not start now.

"You can start if you so wish," the man said mockingly to the raven-haired man.

"Oh, you are so going to regret that."

Diablos vanished and in the next moment, his leg collided with the Dark Lord's side. Voldemort caught the leg in his hand and threw the man away. Diablos made an easy flip through the air and landed safely a bit away. He vanished again, and Voldemort realized he did not Apparate around but he moved with that speed with the help of magic. Diablos moved to hit his head but the Dark Lord easily avoided that one.

The Dark Lord soon grew tired with Diablos hitting the Muggle way though and shot an Avada Kedavra against the man, glad they had sealed the Chamber against the rest of the school.

The bright green curse raced towards Diablos who looked at it. His mind raced through all the protections and such and he quickly settled on one. Quickly flashing a knife and a heartbeat later a thin bow of blood went through the air and cut right through the curse, sending it on each side of Diablos. Voldemort stopped for a moment and watched as the blood fell down in slow motion. Diablos' hair lifted and his eyes shone brighter. The raven-haired man braced himself, another flash of the knife and more blood. He sent it away and shouted a spell in Old English.

Immediately the blood changed into spikes that hurled themselves against Voldemort. The man stared slack-jawed at it for a moment; it was ancient Blood magic! Diablos did not waste a moment but began to run. The Dark Lord gathered himself and ran forward as well, skilfully avoiding all of the spikes.

Diablos had yet to use his wand; instead he flashed his knife again and a moment later held twin swords in his hands, both of them oozing with magic.

The others had long since tried to suppress their awed faces.

"Is that really your uncle?" Padma asked Harry. "He seems stronger than the Dark Lord!"

Diablos whirled around in the air, using Salerna's tricks to the max. Voldemort caught one of the swords and Diablos grabbed onto the man with a grin.

"Check mate," he whispered into the Dark Lord's ear and a moment later a slash appeared on Voldemort's cheek. Diablos jumped away and continued, "I managed one hit. I won."

They all stared at the man who smiled in amusement at the Dark Lord's shocked face. Voldemort gathered himself fairly quickly and said:

"What do you want me to listen on?"

"What I have to say," Diablos said flatly as he smoothly rose up. "It will be quick as I want to help Miss Weasley as well."

"She's dead," Voldemort said and glanced over at Fred. "That her brother?"

"One of them," Diablos said. "What do you mean dead?"

"With me alive and real, she died," Voldemort said. "Not the best first meeting between me and that brother of hers I suppose?"

"She isn't dead," Diablos said. "I'm a healer, so I know when someone is dead or not."

Voldemort glanced over at the girl then back at the man and said:

"Well, speak on."

-

Twenty minutes later Diablos moved over to Ginny and Voldemort processed all that the man had said. He massaged his temples, dark brown hair falling down into his eyes. He had regained the looks when he was in his twenties with the help of the diary, and was rather glad for it. He had almost always looked like this and had wanted to look as much as his old self as possible.

"Merlin am I an idiot," the man muttered, loud enough for the children and his followers to hear.

"My Lord?" Lucius asked hesitantly.

"What are you standing there for, Lucius? Go to your son; I won't start Crucio you for that."

Lucius sighed in relief and made his way over to the children. He hugged Draco tightly and said:

"Are you all alright?"

"We're good," Harry said. Then he looked around and continued, "Or are we?"

"Pretty fine," Fred said and Padma and Hermione nodded in agreement. "I want to see what Diablos are going to with Ginny."

"Go on," Lucius said. "The others beside me and Severus are Nott, Parkinson and Rockwood. No one else dared to answer the calls, or were unable to."

"Yes about that!" Diablos shouted over to Voldemort as he had heard what Lucius had said. "You better get out Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan quickly as they won't be able to stand up against the Dementors much longer."

"How does he know that?" Voldemort said with wide eyes.

"Please, don't even try to figure that out," Harry said with a roll of his eyes. "I'm still trying to figure out how he knew Sirius was innocent despite he didn't know anything about it."

"What?" Voldemort said in disbelief, turning to look at the boy he was prepared to kill only an hour before. Life had certainly changed in a small amount of time.

Harry shrugged and continued:

"Dia said Sirius was innocent and had gotten Sirius a fair trial through Lucius when I was eight. He didn't know who the real Secret Keeper was, he definitely didn't know Peter Pettigrew but seemed to know the man is still alive and hiding somewhere."

"Pettigrew, that damn traitor!" Voldemort growled.

"He was a traitor against my parents as well," the boy pointed out.

"Damn, he was doing it both ways," the Dark Lord muttered. "Is your uncle a Seer or what?"

"No… he says it's his gut feeling."

-

Diablos kneeled down by Ginny's side and examined her gently. Fred came forth and sat down on his heels.

"Is she alive?" he asked.

"Yes," Diablos said without opening his eyes. His hands settled on either side of her head, his thin hands pressing against her temples. "Her soul is not in the body."

"That means practically impossible to get her back," Voldemort said. "Unless you can break free from your body and tell her to come back."

The raven-haired man opened his eyes and looked at the girl. He could not normally do that, but now… he glanced down at the necklace he wore and thought for a minute or two. He took a decision.

He began muttering a spell underneath his breath and they all looked at him briefly.

"What language is it?" Harry asked Fred who was the closest.

"I have no idea," Fred replied. "Could be Latin. Wait a minute… he's wearing a necklace, and it's starting to shine!"

Said necklace began to vibrate as well and slowly lifted itself. It was of a sword with a single ruby against spotless metal. The chain was long and the sword rotated until it was pointed against Diablos. The tip came to meet the middle of his forehead and a ring of light burst out. Diablos' eyes rolled back into his head and Fred screamed. They all snapped their heads towards the two.

Diablos' soul slowly rose up and looked around. He then began walking forward towards the darkened areas of the statue of Salazar Slytherin. He ignored the eyes following each of his steps, focusing his magic to keep his soul still attached to his body. This would be so painful once he got back in his body, and vowed to not do it again.

He kneeled down in the darkness in front of the crying soul of Ginny Weasley.

-

"What are you doing here?" he asked the girl gently.

"I… I'm scared," Ginny said. "It feels like I've just woken up but I know it's not just one long bad dream. I've been horrible, and I tried to kill George!"

"You didn't try to kill anyone," Diablos soothed and stroke her hair. "What do you mean with a dream?"

"I wanted to be Harry's friend," she whispered. "I wanted to be a friend, not some girl who wanted his love. I don't know why I acted the way I did."

"Your parents let Dumbledore drug you," the man said, not wanting to jump around the truth. "Dumbledore is using your family, that's why Fred, George and Bill have taken distance from them."

"Hasn't Charlie as well?" Ginny said. "They can't get in touch with him."

"Maybe he has," the man said. "But why don't we go back and you get to explain it all to Fred? I'm sure George won't be angry with you."

"You really sure?" she asked.

"Really sure," he confirmed.

-

"Ginny!"

They all looked as Diablos walked beforehand with Ginny trailing behind him. She looked up at Diablos once she had reached her body and he simply nodded. She carefully sat down on her knees and put a hand trough her chest. Her soul turned into dust and travelled back into her body. Diablos closed his eyes and his soul did the same.

The necklace fell down from his forehead and his eyes rolled back. He blinked a few times and moved his arms with a wince. Ginny stirred and opened her eyes. All of the people present stared at the two. Ginny was helped up by Fred and she said:

"I'm sorry Fred! I didn't mean to hurt George! I didn't mean to be so stupid this whole year! I'm so sorry!"

Fred tried to calm her down while Diablos rose up. Harry wound his arms around his uncle's waist and said:

"Alright, that was the freakiest thing that has happened so far this year. Can you please not do that again?"

"Tell me about it," Diablos groaned. "It hurts like hell."

Voldemort stared at Diablos.

"What?" the raven-haired man finally managed to say. The Dark Lord looked at him for a long time until he finally found his words:

"You… are one of the strangest people I have ever met."

Tbc…

* * *

Bad ending, bad ending but I had to give this to you! Over a month without anything from _A Second Chance_, I'm so sorry! And guess where I got inspiration?? Of course in a place where there was no internet!! So I couldn't post it until now!

Soo… well, now that's done at least.

Chapter twenty-four: The petrified students get back to normal, how Ginny is and where she is, and the summer. Sort of. Pray to whatever god you believe in I won't delay a chapter like that again.

As for myself, who believe in no god, I just have to kick my ass and get done with it.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	25. Chapter 24

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Sorry for the late update, things not going too great atm. Thanks for all the reviews and enjoy chapter 24.

-

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Dumbledore paced his office, his mind in turmoil. Suddenly the attacks on the students stopped, the progress of the potion that would help the petrified students was almost done and a student had gone missing.

And it just had to be Ginny Weasley! She destroyed his plans right now! How utterly useless! He needed her to seduce Harry to his side, and now that bloody girl was gone! Why could not anything go according to _his_ plans??

-

"So Ginny followed with your uncle?" Fred asked Harry.

The boy nodded and the redhead relaxed a bit. They were seated outside, having just finished all of their exams and now enjoying the weather. George and Neville would join them the next day as the potion that would turn them back to normal would be finished by then.

"He told me he would let Ginny stay in the manor for the time being, then hopefully get her either to Bill or at a school in Italy," Harry said. "Bill has been contacted and is going to Italy as quickly as he can, considering he still is in Egypt."

"If she has to go in a school in Italy, who will she live with? Your uncle?" Hermione asked.

"Probably," the boy admitted. "She has to change how she looks, her name and be written as an Italian citizen."

"I don't care about that, as long as she's safe and sane," Fred said.

"Dia said yesterday when I spoke to him that she seems fine now without any influence from any potions or her parents," Harry said with a grin. "She has the room next to mine, and Dia is teaching her."

"Oh, now I'm jealous!" the redhead moaned. "Your uncle is probably one of the best teachers existing!"

"I'm not too sure Dia would agree," Harry said with a sweat-drop.

-

"George!"

It had been strange seeing Fred without George so now as the twins embraced each other tightly Harry felt something settled back into place, something was evened out and everything returned to as normal as it could get. Neville was greeted by them all with hugs and happy shouts, and soon the two demanded to know what had happened while they were petrified.

They were led outside to the lake where they could sit down and talk in peace.

"Diablos fought against the Dark Lord and won?!" Neville whispered once they were done, his eyes wide. "No one has ever won before!"

"Well now Dia did," Harry said. "I admit I was freaked out by the whole thing, and a bit scared."

"Over that your uncle could get hurt?" George asked.

"No," the boy said and looked at them. "I was scared when I realized what Dia can do."

"What do you mean?" Padma asked with a frown.

"He wasn't fighting all out," Harry replied. "I doubt he was even taking the fight seriously."

-

"Um, Diablos?"

The man looked up to see Ginny in the doorway, now with her complete changes. Her hair was still red but a bit shorter, her face more tanned and her eyes deep brown. Her face had been changed a bit to take out most of the Weasleys features, and all her freckles were gone.

"Is this good enough?" she asked.

"Yes. I would never guess you are Ginny Weasley," he said with a small smile. He watched her fiddle with her hands and continued, "Something else?"

"Will… will I see Bill, George and Fred again?"

"Of course you will. In a few days," he said and rose up. "Bill is coming tonight though, and will be here until we go to get George, Fred and Harry."

"Really? Bill's coming here?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, in a few hours," Diablos said and shuffled her out the door with his hands. "So that means go and clean up the worst mess in your room."

"But that was Cissi and Cissy who made that with all their orders of clothing and such," Ginny whined.

"Why do you think I'm coming with you? I have a wand, and am allowed to use magic. Easy as that."

-

"Dumbledore looks furious."

"Of course he's furious," Harry whispered to the Weasley twins and the others. "Ginny is gone so he can't use her anymore to get to me."

"Bastard," Padma muttered as she glared at the headmaster.

It was the day before they were going home, and Dumbledore had showed himself for the first time in days. He looked angry and did not speak much to anyone. Severus had taken one look at the man, raised an eyebrow and then proceeded to speak to McGonagall about something. The woman had not spoken to the headmaster either, only choosing to give him a glance. Lockhart looked around nervously, on his goblet, on his plate… hell, on everything. The pranks pulled on him had put their mark on him.

Harry snickered at the sight.

-

"Okay, this place is cramped."

"Come on, we've travelled like this before," Harry protested.

Draco muttered something, fastening his arms around the other boy's middle, leaning back on George's legs. Marcus glanced up at them before returning to his book, Miles reading yet again over his shoulder. Blaise only looked amused at the two before returning to his own book, and Theodore shook his head. Hermione was sitting on the floor along with Harry, Draco, Fred and Neville, a book lying in her lap. Padma was sitting on one of the seats next to Blaise, and Theodore was sitting next to Miles.

"It's still cramped," Draco complained. George ruffled the blonde's hair and laughed when Draco batted the hands away with a shriek.

-

"Dia!"

"How come he always sees you first?" Lucius asked Diablos, one eyebrow raised.

"I have no idea," the raven-haired man replied. "How should I know?"

"He's your nephew."

"I hardly know everything about him."

Harry threw himself at Diablos, making the man stumble backwards and Lucius chuckled. Draco came the moment after with Hermione in tow. Fred and George made their way towards them. Neville called out goodbye to them as Augusta smiled an apology; they were late for a dinner. She hurried away with the somewhat clumsy boy running after her. Marcus came up to personally thank Diablos for the help the man had given for Marcus' DADA classes. The raven-haired man had only smiled.

"Well, if it isn't my favourite godson!"

"How many times do I have to tell you Sirius that you only got me?" Harry asked as he let himself be swung up in the air and then tightly hugged.

"Have you ever said that to me?" Sirius asked playfully, making the boy groan. "You are my only godson, that's why you're my favourite!"

"I tried to stop him, Diablos, but you know Sirius when he's in a rush."

"And without his leash," Diablos commented with a smug grin to Remus, making the man blush heavily and beginning to splutter nonsense despite it being nothing but banter. The whole group laughed.

-

"Fred! George!"

Ginny ran up to them, grin wide and looking almost like her two brothers. She hugged the two around the neck, almost hanging off them, making their heads bang together.

"Gin!" Fred managed to choke out. "Hugs… worse… than mother's… Gin, I can't breathe!"

Ginny let them go and laughed. Bill only shook his head at his sister who then turned to Harry. She stepped up and said:

"I'm really sorry for acting the way I did this year. I swear I didn't mean anything I did."

"It's okay; Dia explained," Harry said. "The only thing you gotta worry about is how to get back at them."

"Well, your uncle has a few good ideas you can use," Ginny said and looked at the man. She then leaned closer and whispered, "Fred accidently mentioned his stack of prank potions, and having nothing to do, I managed to nag him to insanity."

"Really? Dia?" Harry asked and turned to Diablos.

The man looked away and muttered:

"Merlin, she is worse than her twin-brothers and Sirius combined."

"Are you serious?!" Harry laughed.

"No, he's over there," Diablos said and pointed behind the two where Sirius was.

"Dia!"

-

Diablos shut his eyes and curled up in the armchair next to the table. He was seated on the second floor of the library but could still hear the children running around, screaming and laughing. It was good Harry had many friends now, but Diablos' headache told them to shut up. He dropped his head to his knees and wrapped his arms around his legs.

"Any more, and you will turn into a ball."

The raven-haired man ignored Salerna who chuckled and came over.

"Cissi and Narcissa are so happy to redress Ginny," Salerna said.

"You two agreed on taking care of her?" Diablos said and looked up. Bill was not going to be able to take Ginny with him due to his job, so Salerna and Cissi had offered. They had no children but Salerna knew Cissi had been hoping she would be able to take care of Ginny.

"Yes. Ginny has taken a liking to Cissi and has said I act funny."

"Funny how?"

"Funny like her two evil brothers."

"Geeh, what a luck."

"Come on, shouldn't you be in bed with that headache of yours?" the white-haired man murmured, reaching out to take away some of the black strands from the younger man's face.

"Maybe," Diablos mumbled. "Maybe…"

Salerna sat down on the arm to the chair and continued:

"Maybe not going to sleep already, but we can always call on Dora for a headache potion?"

"Master needs headache potion?"

They both jumped at the voice, and Dora looked at them, her hands clasped in front of her.

"How does she do that?" Salerna hissed at his friend.

"She has a good hearing," Diablos admitted. "Yes, Dora, a headache potion would be wonderful."

"Dora shall bring tea to master and master white-hair as well." With that, she popped away.

"Why?! Why does she still call me white-hair?!" Salerna exploded.

"To annoy you."

-

"Your house-elf is awesome."

Harry looked over at Ginny and asked:

"Which one?"

"The most awesome one," she replied.

"You mean Dora?"

"That's the one."

"She's awesome?" Fred asked his sister.

"Yeah!" Ginny said and waved her arms around, making the others snicker at her antics. "She's the boss of all the house-elves! She can manipulate Diablos into doing whatever she wants to!"

"She's the mother-hen," the raven-haired boy said and they all looked at him. "Sometimes I seriously think she believes she's Dia's mother. And she can insult anyone she wants without feeling sorry for it."

"Like calling me white-hair?" Salerna asked dangerously. Harry tilted his head backwards until he saw the man and answered:

"Nope, she just knows it annoys the hell outta you."

"That house-elf is too bloody stubborn, too bloody smart and--"

"Is there something master white-hair wants?"

"GAH!"

The children broke out in laughter as Salerna jumped high. Dora, having appeared just behind the man, hid her grin behind her hand. In her other she held a potion.

"Who's that for, Dora?" Harry asked.

"Master Diablos is having terrible headache," Dora said and touched her temple to show the boy. "Dora is being a good house-elf and makes sure master Diablos is comfortable."

"Has he been having lots of headaches?" Harry asked with a frown.

"No, little master, today is the first in months," Dora reassured. "Dora will bring snacks and drinks for little master and little master's friends in a moment. Dora only needs to get master Diablos some good tea. Do you wish to have some, master white-hair?"

"And I who thought you had decided to ignore my complete existence," Salerna said with a sniff.

"Dora can if master white-hair wishes to."

"Just bring me some damn tea as well," the man said and threw his arms up. "I'll go to Diablos now."

As he left Dora peeked after him.

"Aren't you going to bring that to Dia?" Harry asked and the house-elf turned to him.

"Dora is waiting until master white-hair has arrived and then Dora will arrive behind master white-hair."

"You just love to tease him, don't you?"

"Master white-hair is an easy victim," she muttered and then popped away. A distant yell told the children she had succeeded, and they promptly started laughing again.

-

Harry did not care one ounce that he was soon to turn thirteen, that he was practically a _teen_ and certainly not a _child_. He still tip-toed to his uncle's room five the next morning, knowing it was around this time Diablos slept the deepest when he had drunk a headache potion, or any potions at all, the night before.

He closed the door gently and saw Diablos on the bed. He padded across the room and slunk down on the bed. He had left Coran in his room, curled up amongst warm sheets and ordered one of the house-elves to add a warming spell on the sheets to let the snake be as comfortable as possible. He himself needed no warming spell; he had an uncle who happened to love to be warm when asleep.

He wormed himself into place, arms around the sleep-warm body and he felt Diablos stir the tiniest bit before arms sluggishly wrapped around the boy. Sleepy red eyes opened and Diablos mumbled out:

"Harry?"

He was half-asleep and easy to trick back to sleep if you knew how to do it. Harry nuzzled against his uncle and said:

"Go back to sleep. It's okay, go back to sleep."

Diablos did not need more convincing than that, and then he slept.

-

"_Who are you, little one?"_

_Diablos looked up at the person who had spoken, his eyes wide and frightened. __The woman kneeled down by him and said:_

"_I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. Are you alright?"_

_Diablos managed to nod a bit. Who was this woman? Why did she even notice him? No one else did. Nothing noticed him, not even the animals. And if they did, they all ran away in fright when he showed his red orbs to eyes. Why was she not frightened?_

"_Mary, let's go! Mary, what are you--? Oh. Who's that?"_

_More people, more danger. Diablos began scrambling backwards when gentle hands stilled him, pulled him to a warm chest. His face, his skin, his whole body, it was so cold, so cold. He clung to the warmth, teeth clattering, eyes still wide. Never miss anything, anything that could hurt him or make him vulnerable. _

"_It's just a child, John," this Mary whispered. "I can't leave him here!"_

"_Maybe he has parents waiting for him," John replied._

"_Parents who allow him to look like this? Who allow him to be almost freezing to death? I don't think so, John. I want to take him to St Mungo, at least."_

"… _Fine."_

_Diablos was picked up, and for a moment he thought maybe there was a chance he would be saved._

Harry woke up to Diablos twisting around restlessly. The man's eyes were screwed shut, his lips in a tight line. _Bad dream_. The boy hated when his uncle had a bad dream. Therefore, Harry sat up and shook his uncle's shoulder gently. With a snap Diablos woke up. Wide eyes stared around the room for a moment, completely disoriented.

"You were having a dream," Harry said soothingly and after a few tense moments Diablos' eyes returned to the normal size. The boy glanced over to the time and continued, "It's only seven; go back to sleep."

Diablos looked up at Harry and took a few deep breaths.

"Or do you want to talk about the dream?" the boy continued.

"No, it's fine. Nothing bad just… unexpected."

With that Diablos fastened his arms around Harry and pulled his nephew down. The raven-haired boy made ready to protest when he saw his uncle was falling asleep again. His eyes were half-lidded and his movements were slow, sluggish. The boy wondered whether to make Diablos talk, knowing the man would not sleep for the rest of the night if he insisted. Or he could just let the man sleep, making them both feel much better. The choice was not really hard to make. Harry smiled and petted Diablos' hair a bit. The man's eyes closed fully, and Harry lay his head down on Diablos' chest with a content sigh before he said:

"Okay. Go back to sleep."

The man hardly complained.

-

"Time to wake up!"

Harry was the one to awake with Sirius' happy shout and he looked over at Diablos. The man was curled up and deep asleep. Harry squinted to look at the time and groaned as he read it was only eight. He had barely caught any sleep this night, and he sure as hell would not let Sirius disturb his uncle now when Diablos seemed so comfortable.

"Diablos! Harry! Get up!"

The children, Fred, George, Ginny and Draco looked on as Sirius banged on the door. Lucius and Narcissa had yet to get up but Bill was up, having been dragged up by his younger siblings. He was currently rubbing his tired eyes next to an amused werewolf. Remus shook his head and said:

"Give it up, Padfoot. Diablos and Harry sleep in late whenever they can."

Harry, unaware of the small conversation going on outside, sat up and fumbled around on the night-stand. He gripped something hard, solid, something that would hurt if thrown. _Perfect_.

"That's why I'm going to wake them up!" Sirius said cheerfully and opened the door.

Harry aimed. Then there was a loud _"OW!"_

They all gaped as a book hit Sirius in the head and the man waved his arms around before losing balance slightly and falling onto his behind. The door banged close. Remus hawked and said:

"Sirius, I think you ought to leave those two alone."

"Oh really?" the man on the floor asked, clutching his spinning head with a dazed smile.

-

**Two hours later**

"You two really have a bad morning-temper."

The two Potters looked up simultaneously from their breakfast at Remus who smiled and continued:

"Which one of you threw the book at Sirius?"

"Book? Sirius? What are you talking about?" Diablos asked, confused.

"Dia was asleep, and I was annoyed. So I took first best thing and hurled it towards the door," Harry said with a yawn.

"Did you know you hit him?" Remus asked.

"Well, you don't yell 'Ow' without a reason."

"Who banged the door shut?" Sirius demanded to know.

"Um… not really sure," Harry admitted. He just knew the door had shut and he had snuggled down next to his uncle again, going out like a light.

"Automatic spell," Diablos muttered into his tea. When the others stared at him, he continued, "I have put up a spell on my door to prevent Sirius from entering too damn early in the mornings."

"What?!" the Black yelled while the others burst out laughing.

-

"Well?"

Harry only smiled smugly at Hermione who had spoken. Draco, Padma, Neville and the Weasley siblings looked at him as well, wanting to know what he was calling on them for.

"Sit down," he said and gestured to the couches in the living room. "Dora!"

She showed up immediately and already had a tray in her hands. The house-elf put it down and disappeared without a word.

"Well, she seems to know our favourites already," Harry remarked as he sat down. "She has great memory."

"Come on, tell us already!" Draco said. "We know you have something you have to tell!"

Harry took up a glass with Muggle soda, something they all fancied and then looked at them over the brink of the glass.

"I've talked to all your guardians," he said with a grin.

"Yeah, and?" Padma asked.

"So we're going to Greece in two weeks."

Silence…

"WHAT?!"

Diablos from upstairs winced at the collective shouts. Lucius looked amused at him and said:

"I guess Harry spilled it."

"Yes, I guess so…"

-

"We are going to Greece!"

Diablos rolled his eyes and pried Harry's hands from his robes.

"I know we are, but calm down so we can check if we have light clothes," the man said. "We can't go there in heavy robes."

"I need to sort through my wardrobe," Harry said. "I've grown taller so some doesn't fit me at all any more."

"Well, let's go and see what you have."

Harry raced up the stairs while Diablos followed at a more moderate pace. The boy was already throwing out all of his clothes onto the floor, and the man caught a sweater before it could hit him. He ducked a pair of jeans the moments later.

"Ease down," he laughed and Harry blushed a bit. "Alright, let's start with… the robes perhaps?"

"Do I have to try them?"

"Only if they look like they might fit."

-

"Wow, I didn't know there was so much clothes I couldn't have. What are we going to do with all these?"

"While Ginny is a girl, Cissi told me she likes pants and sweaters more than dresses and the like. We can have her check if she's interested in any of these."

"Good idea," Harry said. "And after that?"

"We'll give it away I guess. There are a lot of second-hand stores for wizards and witches."

"Aren't you going to check your wardrobe?" Harry asked and looked up at Diablos.

"My clothes fit me," the man replied with a shrug. "I stopped growing over ten years ago, Harry. You luckily seem to have a growth spurt."

"And you didn't have it?"

"Please, James was taller than me when he was fourteen."

"Seriously?" Harry asked. "I wanna see that!"

"We didn't have much photos of me and James together when he was in that age," Diablos said with a sad smile. "I began working in Italy soon after I had graduated from Hogwarts."

"Wait… does it mean you knew all this stuff you know now when you were like seventeen?"

"I was around twenty when I started; I was learning from when I was seventeen to twenty about Dark Arts and such."

"It only took you three years to learn all you know?" the boy asked as he and Diablos began folding the clothes he was going to keep.

"Merlin no. I learn something new all the time. Some things I know now I didn't know six months ago. It's an ongoing learning."

It was rare that Diablos shared with Harry how he became a teacher in Italy of all places. The man waved his hand and the clothes began putting itself on the shelves in the wardrobe and Harry sat back. When he thought about it, his uncle had not changed at all the last seven or so years. He was shorter than average and far too light.

"Is there something on my face?" Diablos asked, looking at his nephew.

"No… I'm just thinking you haven't aged. Or grown. Or gained weight."

"There is no need to add that third detail," Diablos huffed. "I do try, Harry, you know that."

"Yeah, but I would like you to try harder."

"Last time I did that I spent a day puking my guts out."

"Ugh, don't remind me." Harry had tried to force Diablos to gain weight when he himself was ten, and regretted it even to this day. Diablos had lasted a week before he spent a day puking. After that, they both realized Diablos' body would gain weight if it wanted, not if Diablos wanted. That did not stop people from trying though.

"I have thrown away some clothes," Diablos said. "It was not that they didn't fit, I had just grown tired of them. And some, I admit, was from when I was seventeen."

"Many people would envy being able to have clothes from when they were young," Harry pointed out.

"Merlin, they are crazy…"

Harry laughed.

-

"Come on, let's go and check out the girl's section!" Hermione beamed to Padma and Ginny, took their arms and dragged them off.

"That's my girl!" Joanne said dreamily before she, Narcissa and Cissi rushed after them. Diablos raised an eyebrow while Lucius, Salerna and Greg shook their heads. Harry tugged at Diablos' hand and said:

"Come on, I don't know what I'm supposed to look at."

"Breathable material," the man replied absently.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"… I'm coming."

-

Diablos looked at the two outfits in confusion, wondering where the hell they came from. He had no memory of them and was quite certain they had not been there before he went shopping with Harry. He touched the one to the left, black and red combined in a complex battle robe. He felt the fine material and wondered if it could have been _them_. The other went in silver and black, but was more of a formal robe for a ball or something like that.

Suddenly there were hands over his eyes and a voice breathed out:

"Guess who."

"Very funny, Odium, but you really need to train on sneaking up on me," Diablos said.

"Damn… oh well, it was worth a try. What do you think about the robes? Arsenic went for battle while I thought you might like a formal one."

"What's the occasion?"

"There is none," Odium said, embracing Diablos from behind. "Just because."

"How did you get in?" the red-eyed man asked, curious to know.

"Your house-elf let me in while you were out," the white-haired man replied. "She is very kind, and gave me a very good cup of tea."

"She is obsessed with taking care of everyone," Diablos said but did not move away from Odium. The two stood in a comfortable silence for several minutes, Odium resting his head on the man's shoulder. Diablos closed his eyes, turned his head slightly and said, "Harry is coming."

"I know," Odium said. "I will go."

In the next moment, there was no one standing behind Diablos only a gust of cold air. Diablos shuddered at the feeling.

-

The raven-haired man came out out from the walking closet as Harry stuck his head in.

"Hi," the boy said. "We are going outside. Wanna come?"

"We who?"

"Me, the others, Salerna, Cissi, Lucius and so on."

"Might as well come," Diablos said and took off his robe, leaving him in black slacks, a white shirt and over the shirt a black vest.

"That's a new outfit," the boy pointed out.

"Orator is very insistent," Diablos said with a huff. "Says when I know pure wizard manner I might as well dress as one."

"I take it you don't agree?" Harry asked as they walked down the corridor.

"I have a fondness for civil Muggle clothes when I'm at the house," Diablos confessed. "You have corrupted me."

"Come on! You didn't wear any of that stuff in school?"

"No, I didn't."

"What?!"

"Mother and father always said I was too formal, but I liked it," the man said.

"Were you dressed like this when you were in school?" the boy demanded to know.

"Minus the vest?"

"You are crazy…"

"In my time, young people did dress like this," the man protested.

"No way!"

"Yes way."

-

As Lucius stepped through the fire-place he was met with a sigh that made him gape the slightest.

After all, seeing his Lord sitting in an armchair discussing something with one of his friends who _was not_ a Death Eater was somewhat unthinkable.

"Dia made the mistake and mentioned something about a spell he had managed to get into liquid form," Harry informed and Lucius turned to look at him.

"What kind of spell?"

"Dunno really but it was relatively normal. Ever since Voldemort's been obsessed with him talking potions."

"Well, our Lord appreciates good potions work…"

-

Diablos looked the Dark Lord over once he was given a chance to breath. Voldemort was dressed in black robes, perfect for both formality as well as battle. He had grown his hair longer, shoulder-length and it was a bit darker than the red-eyed man remembered it.

"So you managed to make Incendio in liquid-form?" the Dark Lord asked, stirring the tea Dora had brought him. His dark eyes sought out Diablos who replied:

"Took me a bit of time, yes, but I managed."

"How old were you?"

"Nineteen," Diablos said. "Had too much free time and nothing to read so… down to the potions lab and experiment."

He left out the bit when Arsenic had to come and save him from being burnt to death, figuring it would be quite a hassle. And really, it was _only_ his robe… Arsenic did not have to make such a big deal over something like that.

"And you didn't burn yourself to death?" Voldemort asked, amused.

"My ego got a little scorched in the edges," the man admitted and took a sip of his tea.

"Tell me something; I've never heard about a liquefied Incendio. How come I haven't?"

"I haven't told many people," Diablos said. "No one beside me has actually seen it."

"No? Well, I would certainly be interested," Voldemort said, leaning forward. "Not even Severus has tried that."

"He probably had more important things to do with his time," Diablos said.

"He is one of the finest potions masters in the Wizarding World. You are not known?"

"I'm not even a potions master," Diablos said with a smile. "Just someone who likes to play around with death I guess. None of the potions I make are really safe."

"It's fun experimenting isn't it?"

"Maybe your and my look at fun differs a bit," Diablos said.

"Once again I would like to know how you know so much about me," Voldemort said.

"It's a mystery, isn't it?" Diablos said and rose up. "Would you like to see the potion?"

Voldemort grumbled as he got up from the chair, glaring half-heartedly at the raven-haired man's back. He turned to look at Harry and said:

"You have a very evil uncle."

"Don't I know that already?" Harry said without looking up from his book.

-

Voldemort followed Diablos into the room and looked around the shelves. There were potions ingredients, cauldrons in different sizes and books.

"Do you have books in every room in this manor?" the Dark Lord wondered, one eyebrow raised.

"No," Diablos said absently. "They are forbidden in the bathrooms by Dora."

Voldemort looked at him in disbelief.

"Do you have books in the guestrooms?" he asked.

"Sure, why not?" the man said and straightened up from whatever he had been doing. "Why are you looking at me in that way?"

"What way?"

"Your eyes are telling me you think I'm strange."

"Oh, so you can read eyes now as well?"

"No, you really need to start working on hiding your emotions from your face."

"Emotions are unnecessary," Voldemort growled.

"Then why are you angry every time someone says that to you?" Diablos asked, amused. "You have anger, which means you have everything else; you're just good at hiding it. Aah, here it is. Must've cleaned it away before because I can't remember placing it here."

He held up a bottle and looked at Voldemort. The man seemed to stare into space, not aware of the red-eyed man coming closer.

"Good morning."

Voldemort stared, wild-eyed, at Diablos. The man tilted his head and said:

"You never struck me as a person who loses himself in his thoughts but I appear to be mistaken."

"What?!"

-

"Greece! Greece! Greece!"

"Yes, I heard you an hour ago," Diablos said. "Go and finish packing, then go to bed."

"But I'm not tired!" Harry complained.

"Harry, it's near midnight and we're going seven in the morning," Diablos explained. "Go on, pack and then bed."

"What about you?" the boy asked.

"I will go once I've put these books away," Diablos said, gesturing at some books lying on the table. "Go on; in a half-hour I will come and if you're not in bed by then you will not like the outcome."

Harry pouted but obeyed his uncle and raced up the stairs. Diablos shook his head and continued reading. He could put the books away in 25 minutes.

-

When Diablos entered Harry's room, the boy was already fast asleep. The man walked up to the bed carefully, picking up stray clothes and banishing them to the wardrobe. He sat down on the edge of the bed and watched the boy sleep for a while. His fingers traced the old blanket that belonged to James gently. He then picked it up and tucked it in between Harry's arms; the boy tightened his arms around it immediately. Diablos smiled a bit and exited, closing the door gently behind him.

"Hello, Diablos."

He looked up to see Arsenic give him a small smile.

"You at least waited until only I was awake," Diablos said. "Although I won't be much company; I'm going to bed myself."

"I just wanted to see if you were alright," the woman said. "I'm worried."

"You shouldn't be."

"Time is running out," she said and tucked some hair back behind his ear. "When you tell Harry, or he finds out, I want you to know me and Odium will take care of you."

"Maybe he will understand," Diablos said.

"Most likely he will," she said. "He will demand an explanation, but you are already willing to give it all to him. And if he doesn't understand, then we'll come and make him understand."

"He's just a child."

"He's turning thirteen," she pointed out. "He's a teenager."

"Not by my standards," he said weakly.

"By your standards, he will forever be young," she said. "But he can't be young forever. You can't wait with this for much longer."

He knew that already.

Tbc…

* * *

I decided to stop here as I have major writer's block but still wanting to give my readers something. Right now it's not going great with my stories. Those who are reading _A Different Life_; sorry but you have to wait for a while for that one. It's not going great atm.

Chapter 25: Greece, Harry's birthday and maybe some more stuff.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	26. Chapter 25

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Thankie for all reviews and yet again sorry for the late update! I recently graduated so I've been busy with preparations and parties held for me (not that I care about those; I hate parties but everyone is so fucking ignorant and doesn't care what I think). Not that it's a good excuse but that's the only one I got! Oh except for major writing block…

Maybe you want to know who is in Greece; I never said that before did I?

Anyway, here is the list:

Diablos  
Lucius  
Salerna  
Bill  
Sirius  
Remus  
Fred  
George  
Harry  
Draco  
Hermione  
Ginny  
Padma  
Neville

Oh, and Coran as well! Nearly missed the little guy!

Another thing; MorinBlack on deviantArt has been kind enough to submit some sketches of what she thinks Diablos, Arsenic and Odium looks like and I approved of them. She wanted to make better versions though, but says she still has some troubles making the people "come alive" from the paper (hence the reason why she submit so seldom, claiming she sucks). If you want to have a feel how they look like, go and check it out. She also has some sketches from one or two others stories I've written.

It's: morinblack dot deviantart dot com

-

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Harry woke up to Diablos gently shaking his shoulder. He looked up at his uncle sleepily and yawned.

"Come on, Lucius, Narcissa and Draco has already arrived," Diablos said. "Get dressed and come to the dining room."

"'Kay," Harry mumbled and got up.

Diablos rose up from the bed and exited as Harry walked to the bathroom.

-

"Are we all set?" Lucius asked, looking around.

They all nodded, holding onto the Portkey that would take them to Greece. As Italy and Greece were on friendly terms Portkey-travels were allowed between the two countries.

They had split into two groups as they were too big for one Portkey. Lucius was in command of one of them, Diablos of the other. They both counted down and made sure everyone touched it.

A moment later, they vanished.

-

"That was uncomfortable," Hermione grumbled as she and Padma steadied each other on their way up from the ground.

"You get used of it after a few times," Remus soothed her and dusted away grass from her robe. "No one got hurt?"

"I'm good," Harry said. "Dia, did you even move from your position?"

"… Not really, why?" the man asked as he dropped the Portkey to the ground. It would be picked up a bit later by some people from the Greece Ministry.

"How come you're so good with the Portkey?" Sirius demanded to know.

"You just suck at it," Diablos oh so nicely replied and looked at him. "You still fall down, Sirius?"

"I don't like Portkeys!" the man protested.

"You call that an excuse?" The raven-haired raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

"No, it's a reason!"

-

"This is awesome! Dia, look, we got our own pool!"

Diablos smiled at Harry's excited yelling and said:

"Yes I see but come on now. You all decided on sight-seeing first."

Harry grinned even wider and dragged Diablos with him as he went inside again.

"Dia, what should I wear? I don't really know what stuff to wear when it's hot…"

"Well, you didn't dress that differently in Italy."

"But it's hotter here!"

"Alright, alright… this one perhaps?"

Diablos held up a white T-shirt and Harry agreed on that. He also took a pair of beige pants and sandals.

"What about you, Dia?"

"I'm on my way; it was you who wanted help."

Diablos went to his own room, opened his trunk and pulled out the first outfit. Within minutes, he had changed from robes to white chopped off trousers, an emerald-coloured T-shirt, a white shirt over that and sandals. He came out again and saw not all had changed yet. The girls ran into their room, chatting excitedly about what they were going to wear. Neville, Draco and Harry were done while Bill fought to get the twins to change. They insisted to walk in their normal clothing, shirt and jeans but Bill was not going to carry them home due too much sun. He himself wore shorts, T-shirt and sandals, looking quite different from his normal self.

Lucius, Salerna, Sirius and Remus appeared already to be outside; their voices came drifting inside once in a while.

"Dia!" Harry cried happily and threw his arms around the man's waist.

"Alright, who snuck you a hyper-potion?" the man demanded to know, mock-stern.

"Dia!" the young teen whined. "Not hyper!"

"Then what are you? Calm?"

"Exactly!"

"Harry that must be the worst lie I have heard this year so far. Care to try again?"

"Dia!"

Coran stuck his head out from Harry's shirt and screamed desperately:

"_He's hyper, Diablos! Make him quieeeet!"_

"Coran!" Harry shouted while Diablos had to turn away to hide his laughter. His shaking shoulders gave him away though.

-

Harry happily ran around with all the other children amongst the ruins of an old temple, white marble shining under the hot sun.

Diablos, Lucius, Salerna, Sirius, Remus and Bill had installed themselves in the shadow of the temple, the temperature more comfortable. The raven-haired man had put his hair up in a pony-tail and Salerna had earlier commented he looked like a seventeen-year old to which Diablos responded with hexing the man. Salerna had run around chased by angry snakes for a good fifteen minutes before Diablos let him off the hook.

But now Diablos sat and read a book, once in a while looking up to see what the children were doing. The rest of the adults had gotten down on the ground, adding cooling spells on the hot stone and were conversing easily between each other.

Harry came running and leaped onto his uncle. Diablos fell to the ground with a bang, groaning when Harry's full weight settled on his chest. He was not that big but the young teen seemed to believe it.

"Harry, if you please… can you move? I'm afraid I can't get much air right now," Diablos wheezed out.

The raven-haired hyper being got off him and proceeded to drag him up.

"You've read the history about this place, right? I saw you with the book that explained the history! Come on, tell us!"

The red-eyed man had no real chance to protest before Harry dragged him off to the group of children. The men shook their heads; Diablos was not having a rest with a hyper Harry around.

-

Diablos finished folding the last blanket when the door to Harry's, Draco's and Neville's room opened and the raven-haired teen peeked outside.

"Hi," he whispered and got out.

"What's wrong, Harry? You can't sleep?" Diablos asked, circling an arm around his nephew.

"I wanted to see the stars for a bit," Harry said. "Can you follow with me?"

The man smiled a bit and grabbed a blanket before they went outside on the terrace. They had rented a house near the ocean, really on the beach, and the terrace had the perfect view of the white sand beach, the ocean and then the sky. Harry sat down and looked upside. It was not really cold in the air, but it had cooled off a lot so Diablos wrapped the blanket around Harry's shoulders. He himself had changed into night clothes, a T-shirt and pants but had a robe over those.

"It's pretty," the teen said and leaned onto Diablos.

"And you are falling asleep right where you are sitting," Diablos chuckled.

"I wanna stay," Harry said. "You can wake me up if I fall asleep…"

The raven-haired man shook his head a bit at the teen, amused and proceeded to look over the ocean.

When he looked down a few minutes later Harry was snoozing peacefully in his lap, and Diablos raised a silent eyebrow to that. He wondered whether go get the teen inside or stay out for a few more minutes.

He opted to stay out.

-

Salerna came walking out of the room the next morning and saw Bill spread out a blanket over something on the terrace.

"Bill, what are you doing?" the white-haired man asked.

"I just don't have the heart to wake them up," the redhead replied and Salerna, confused, walked up to see who it was. He had to smile at the sight.

Diablos had Harry wrapped up in his arms, one of his hands buried in his nephew's hair. Harry lay with his head in the crook of Diablos' neck snuggled up in a blanket. Bill had just laid a second blanket over them, this time covering Diablos as well.

"Did they sleep here all night?" Salerna asked.

"I'm not quite sure. Looks that way though."

Diablos moved his head a bit after they had spoken for a little while and slowly opened his eyes. Salerna crouched down and said:

"Morning sunshine. Slept good?"

"… Fucking hard floor."

"Oh, I can't imagine why. Come on, let's get you both up."

Salerna carefully lifted Harry up, the teen waking up briefly. He stared up at Salerna sleepily and then curled his fingers around the blanket around his shoulders.

"Only seven in the morning, go back to sleep," Salerna said to the teen.

"What about Dia?" Harry mumbled even as he snuggled into the warmth.

"He's going to sleep as well," Bill replied as he steadied the elder man. Diablos cracked his neck uncomfortably before walking back inside, one hand on Bill's arm to steady himself.

Once Diablos reached his bed he fell down on it, and ignored Bill's chuckles in favour to curl into the warm sheets.

"Who added the warming-spell?" he mumbled out to the redhead.

"I did. Figured you would be a bit cold."

"Thank you for that."

"You're most welcome. Now catch some sleep; the children won't be up for another few hours."

Diablos happily did so.

-

A soft rustle woke him up a half-hour later and he opened his eyes to see Harry crawl under the sheets.

"What's wrong?" he asked even as he let the teen cling to him.

"Bad dream, I'm fine," Harry said and relaxed into the embrace. "Just need you for a bit."

"I hope you don't mind I sleep."

"Not at all."

Although worried, Diablos felt he was too tired to be able to stay awake. And Harry seemed fine as long as he could have his uncle close by. With that reassurance (and mantra in his head) Diablos went back to sleep.

-

"Ah, this is life…"

Diablos glanced over at Salerna who took a sip of his wine before closing his eyes due to the strong sun. Ginny giggled at him; she knew he was a bit of a lazy person whenever he could be.

"Lazy," Diablos said and returned to his book.

"I am most certainly not!" the white-haired man exclaimed.

"Your tone indicates something else. Getting so upset when it's not true says a lot," the red-eyed man said and looked over at him with a small mischievous smile.

"Dia wins!" Harry laughed.

"Diablos!" Salerna said, as if offended. "Do you wish for a duel right now to see who the best is?"

"No thank you. You are such a sore loser."

"Diablos!"

The children laughed at their bickering while Lucius, Bill, Sirius and Remus only shook their heads.

-

"We should really get inside."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because it's one in the morning and this floor is uncomfortable," Diablos said. "Plus you are heavy."

"I'm not," the young teen protested.

"You are to me. I'm not that big you know."

"Alright, alright," Harry said and slid off so he could lie snuggled into Diablos' side, this time they were lying on a thick comforter on the terrace with a thick blanket over them. "I like it here."

"You didn't find it uncomfortable?"

"Not really."

Diablos turned so he could _Accio _some pillows and some more blankets. Harry gave a startled yelp as they all fell down on the two, and Diablos chuckled. The two arranged the pillows and blankets until they lay comfortably, and then Harry looked up at the stars.

"How many stars are there?" he asked suddenly.

"Don't you have Astronomy?"

"Yeah, but we don't learn really much about the stars. It's mostly about the planets."

"Alright… but I don't know how many stars there are. Astronomy was not a strong subject for me."

"I thought you had Outstanding on everything," Harry said with a grin.

"Merlin no, not everything."

"Well? What did you learn in Astronomy?"

"Well, the movements of the planets," Diablos said, thinking back. It had been a while. "That was the centre of it all. Don't you do it as well?"

"Yeah, and it's boring."

"I know that but do your best. How do you feel about your choices to the third year?"

"I think Divination is just a try, I'll drop out of it if I don't like it."

"Sounds like a good idea. What about the others?"

"I'm excited about Ancient Runes. They are really useful in wards and the like, right?"

"Yes, so if you are in need, you can ask Bill."

"Aren't you good in Ancient Runes?" Harry asked, peering up at his uncle.

"Nowhere as good as Bill. He's a warder for Gringotts Harry. That means he knows his stuff."

"Oh, okay. That's good."

"What else did you pick? You didn't really tell me much."

"I chose Muggle Studies as well."

"Why that?"

"Interesting to hear about the Muggles from a wizard perspective? Plus I might learn something you don't know."

"Excuse me, but I know more than the average wizard about Muggles," the man said.

"I know that. I just want to learn more. Hermione would love it, so she could talk more Muggle-stuff with us."

"I never thought of like that, but it sounds like a good plan. How nice of you to think about Hermione."

"Of course! She is one of my best friends, Dia!"

"Alright, don't wake them up now… was there any other subject?"

"Nope. No other looked interesting enough. Besides, learning Dark magic and such won't be very successful at Hogwarts, right?"

"Point," Diablos agreed.

"What subjects did you have?" Harry asked curiously. He had never laid much thought about his uncle's education at Hogwarts.

"Ancient Runes, Divination, Arithmancy and Swordsmanship."

"Swordsmanship??"

"I believe they took that one away some years ago," Diablos said. "It was a bit dangerous."

"So you know how to fight with a sword?" Harry asked.

"Please, no. I'm horrible at it, haven't practiced in years."

"Maybe you should start again. I would love to see it! Hang on a minute; you conjured a sword during your fight with Voldemort!"

"If you so wish to see me stumble on my own feet and fall flat on my face," Diablos said with a smile. "And the fight with Voldemort, I would hardly call it showing off my skills with a blade."

"Oh shut up!" the young teen said to his uncle before curling up under the blanket. "I'm sleepy now…"

"So we're sleeping here again?"

"Hey, at least it's more comfortable this time."

"… True."

-

Salerna looked at the two sleeping Potters, a cup of tea in his hand and a robe thrown over his night-clothes. At least they had bundled themselves up this time, and Diablos seemed content enough. He was skinny so his bones almost always dug into the hard parts extra much, but now he was resting peacefully upon the comforters, blankets and pillows. Harry was lying half on his uncle, his head resting on Diablos' shoulder and the man's hand in his nephew's hair.

"They've slept here again?" Remus asked from behind Salerna.

"Yeah. I don't know if it's Harry's or Diablos' idea."

"I would reckon Harry. Diablos doesn't seem like the type."

"True," Salerna said. "Want some tea?"

"That would be wonderful. Is the ocean water cold?"

"I have no idea, why?"

"Sirius kept me up last night with his normal hyper chatting, so…" Remus trailed off. Salerna chuckled and said:

"I now can see where Harry got the gene of pranking from. Diablos say you two are just like James."

"Well, I'm not as bad as Sirius and James were in their prime," Remus said. "Sirius is still the big kid who likes to mess around while I actually grew past that stage."

"Thank Merlin for that," the white-haired man muttered. "One is enough to deal with…"

Remus laughed behind his hand as he follow Salerna back inside.

-

Diablos was woken up by the strong sun and he groaned. Harry moved a bit and then dragged the blankets over his head, clearly not wanting to go up. Diablos sat up carefully and stretched his arms up. A crack came from his spine and he managed to get up. He was too old to sleep on a floor.

"Awake now?"

He turned around to see Salerna hold out a cup for him. He accepted it and said:

"What, no wine-drinking for you?"

"It's nine in the morning silly," the white-haired man said. "I haven't gone that far."

"Hn."

Diablos took a sip and rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. With a snap of his fingers his hair was combed and looked decent, and with another snap he was dressed. He only shrugged when Salerna looked at him.

"Draco and Padma are up, but not the other children," Salerna then said after a short silence. "They suggested for us to stay close by the house today; they wanted to test the pool."

"Sure," Diablos said.

Harry stirred again and this time peeked out from his mountains of blankets.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Nine in the morning," Salerna replied and crouched down. "You and your uncle making a habit of sleeping on the floor?"

"No, it just happened."

"It just happened? What about this mountain of blankets and pillows then?"

"Comfort."

"If you say so," the man said and glanced up at the raven-haired man. Diablos only shrugged again, cradling the cup to his chest.

-

Diablos shot out with his hand, creating a shield just before a wave of water would have hit him. Harry came up from the water and said:

"That wasn't fair, Dia!"

"I am reading, Harry," the man said and looked at his nephew. "I will join you in a few minutes."

"Always a few minutes," the young teen whined but moved towards his friends. Diablos lowered the shield and finished the chapter. He marked the page and put the book away. He looked over the pool and scoffed. Sirius was the biggest kid of them all, trying to dunk Remus underneath the surface. The raven-haired man got up and took off the bathrobe, leaving him in chopped off shorts, good enough for have a dip in the water with.

He slid down into the water on the place he knew he would only be waist-high and noticed the children had not noticed him. Or anyone else for that matter. The only one not bathing was Bill but that was because he had burned himself the day before and wanted it to heal before moving out in the sun again.

Diablos got under the surface and swam over to where the others were. He broke the surface in the middle of where the children were and they all shrieked in fright. He laughed, and it made Harry choke on his breath. First of all Diablos joined them quicker than the raven-haired boy thought, and he seemed to be so happy.

Shock over though, and Harry was over the man.

"Dia, don't do that ever again!" he shouted. Diablos, feeling playful, simply grabbed onto his nephew and dove under. The two wrestled a bit under water before they got up again. Harry spluttered and with a war-cry threw himself on his uncle. The children joined Harry with shouts and grins. A sudden spray of water made them shriek and Salerna joined the fight. Soon all of them were involved in a water fight, and it seemed like it was everyone against everyone.

Diablos and Salerna fought together though, used to do so, and successfully dunked Sirius under water more than once, making Remus laugh helplessly. Lucius managed to avoid getting dunked but was defeated when his son took the Weasley twins, Neville and Padma to help to get him under water.

After some time they had all worn themselves out, now floating on mattresses and relaxing. Sirius and Remus got up, Sirius shaking his head like a dog would do and Remus yelped and moved to get away. Diablos snorted at the Sirius' actions before closing his eyes. Harry pushed his mattress over to Diablos' and grabbed onto his uncle's so they would stick together.

"I like it here," the raven-haired boy said dreamily.

"It's nice," Diablos agreed and looked at Harry with half-lidded eyes. The young teen rather liked the look Diablos had; completely and utterly boneless. For Diablos in this moment, all was well with the world. Harry could not agree more.

-

When lunch came around, Harry went out to retrieve his uncle who had opted to stay in one of the sun beds and reading. But when he arrived he came to a stop a bit away from the bed.

Diablos was asleep, book on his chest and the bathrobe over his legs. His breathing was deep and even, indicating he was deep asleep and Harry crept closer. He sat down next to Diablos' right hip and carefully took the book. He marked the page and closed it, putting on the table next to the bed. He then tugged the bathrobe up a bit and was surprised that the man did not even stir.

"Harry, what's taking so---? Oh." He turned around to look at Lucius who lowered his voice before continuing, "Are you going to let him sleep?"

"Yeah," the young teen said. "We'll just save some for him."

They both went into the house again, and neither noticed the soft glowing of the sword-shaped necklace around the raven-haired man's neck. When Diablos stirred it glowed stronger until the man had settled down. Once he was calm the glowing lessened. A soothing whispering voice could be heard if you listened really closely. Diablos' features relaxed more, and the voice only vanished once the man was completely boneless in the sun bed.

-

Salerna came out an hour later, intent on waking the man up but when he saw the sight he stopped and stared.

The raven-haired man looked so small curled up in the sun bed, one arm dangling over the edge and not a single line in his usually troubled face. Salerna walked closer but Diablos did not even react. To be sure, the white-haired man took his friend's pulse. It was beating steadily underneath his fingers.

Salerna looked at the necklace and saw the glowing. He frowned and moved to touch it. Diablos' hand was around his wrist within an instant and red eyes gazed calmly into violet.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the man said.

"What is it?" Salerna asked.

"… A friend."

"What?"

Diablos sat up and stretched.

"Did I miss lunch?" he asked.

"Diablos…"

"Not now. Did I miss lunch?"

"Harry saved some for you. They are on the beach with Lucius and Sirius."

"Remus and Bill then?"

"Bill fell asleep and Remus is on the terrace. He'll hear them if they want something."

Diablos rose up and walked into the house again. Salerna looked after him and then sighed. The man was very good when it came to avoid answering on questions… a bit too good.

-

A few days later they were on the beach again after having been sight-seeing and shopping but this time they all were there. Diablos was for once not reading a book but had opted to look at seashells, dressed in a white tank top and white pants along with a pair of gladiator-like sandals. His hair had been put up in a ponytail and at the moment he was exploring amongst the sand for seashells, running his hand over the smooth surface. He already had some seashells next to him in a small pile.

Harry looked at his uncle where he was and sighed softly. Diablos looked to be at peace which brought Harry's mind at ease. He resumed his work with the sand-castle he and the Weasley twins were building. He knew Fred and George would destroy it with some spectacular trick but did not complain much. It was a wizard-beach after all, so there was no need to hide.

Lucius walked over to where Diablos was, dressed in beige shorts and an open white shirt and sandals in his hand. He sat down next to the raven-haired man and said:

"Enjoying yourself?"

"It's nice," Diablos admitted. "Vacation is nice."

"You haven't taken vacation before Harry?"

"Not really," Diablos said. "Or rather, I went to wrong places."

"Such as?"

"Went to Alaska once actually, with Harry. He was too young to remember though."

"Alaska? Why there?" Lucius asked and looked at his friend.

"Don't know really," Diablos said. "It was not long after the war. Alaska was… untouched by it in a way. No one even spoke of the war."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah, and it rained most of the time," the raven-haired man said with a small smile.

"Less nice."

"Yeah. Harry didn't mind though. I could have gone to North pole, he would have just been happy to be with me."

Lucius smiled. Diablos picked up another seashell and held it up. It was light pink and smooth. Lucius watched the seashell as well before it was laid in one of Diablos' hands.

"Having fun?" the blonde asked.

"I've never looked for seashells, so hush," Diablos warned.

-

Diablos faintly heard the children's laughter amongst the ruins and looked around. He spotted Padma for a moment before she dove behind a colonnade. He shook his head in amusement and continued reading the runes, Coran snoozing quietly around his neck. The raven-haired man figured if the snake went with Harry he would not have a calm moment. Coran had agreed after watching the children run around for a while, and promptly sought for the perfect nap-place around Diablos' neck.

They were at some old wizard ruins, looking rather alike the Muggles ones with the marble colonnades, stark white against the sun. Diablos wondered why the wizards had not put up spells that would preserve the bright colours the colonnades once had been painted with. Or at least added it to the various protection runes.

He traced the symbols with one of his fingers, the other hand absently rubbing the necklace he was wearing although he was careful not to wake up the sleeping snake. It heated up momentarily and he said:

"Don't even try it, Fred, George."

"Damn, how do you do that?!" the two shouted.

Diablos smiled as he looked over his shoulder. With one finger he calmed Coran down who had woken up momentarily at their shout. The snake muttered something, his head swaying back and forth for a moment before dropping down. He was out cold.

"Let me guess; cold water?" Diablos asked the twins due to the bucket they were holding.

"… Yeah," they said.

"Bill is nearly not as observant as me at the moment," Diablos said.

The twins gave each up a feral grin and ran off with the bucket of water. A few moments later Bill let out a shriek followed by:

"Fred! George!"

The Weasley twins laughed and ran away from their raging brother. Diablos shook his head as the other children laughed as well. The necklace cooled down and he could return to watch the runes, Coran happily sleeping around his neck.

-

"I can't believe we're leaving already," Harry muttered as he looked up at the night sky. He was sitting with his back against his uncle's chest; Diablos leaned against the wall on the terrace with his knees drawn up so he could rest his arms on them.

"Time flies when you have fun," Diablos said. "But when you get home it's your birthday, so you will have more fun."

"Yeah," Harry said. "And then it's only a little while before school begins again."

"Can't be that bad, right?" the man asked.

"No, it's not that… I just…"

"What?"

"I have a feeling something will be different," Harry said and turned so his side was pressed against the thin chest. He wrapped an arm around Diablos' neck and leaned his head onto one shoulder.

"Different how?" Diablos asked.

"Just different," the young teen said.

Diablos closed his eyes for a brief moment. It would be different… Harry was just not aware of how different their lives would be.

-

**31st of July**** 1993**

Harry walked into the dining room, still dressed in his nightclothes and yawned. He looked up and saw Diablos sitting by the table, reading a book while absently stirring his tea. Coran lay curled up around the cup, hissing once in a while and seemed pleased when Diablos now and then abandoned his spoon and stroke with one finger along the snake's spine. Harry walked up to the two, dragged forth a chair and sat down next to his uncle.

"Slept well?" Diablos asked, taking his eyes from the book.

"Mm…"

"Still sleeping?"

"Noooo… I think."

The man smiled as Dora popped in with breakfast.

"Eat up, master!" she chided, pulling Diablos' sleeve. He had not touched his breakfast.

"I will, Dora," Diablos promised. He stroke Coran again and then gently lifted the tea cup even as he put away the book. Coran hissed in displeasure but did not complain as Harry lifted him up and around his neck.

"Lazy snake," he said fondly.

"_Heard that,"_ Coran hissed.

Diablos only smiled as he sipped his tea.

-

Harry watched his uncle from afar and saw the man was distracted, and perhaps nervous. Distracted the young teen was used to, nervousness he was not used to. He could count the times he had seen his uncle nervous on one hand.

Why was the man nervous, and why did he keep fingering on that necklace? Harry wanted to know where he got it from, and what it meant for him. Diablos never took it off nowadays.

When his uncle looked his way, Harry only smiled before turning back to his friends. They were playing Exploding Snap except for Harry himself and George.

Fifteen minutes later a startled Hermione was declared the winner and Dora announced it was lunch. Feeling hungry, the group of children whooped with joy and rushed to the dining room. The adults laughed at their children's antics (nephew for Diablos, grandchild in Augusta's case and brothers in Bill's case) and moved to follow them. Diablos mentally gave himself a hit on the head and removed his hand from the necklace. He was getting annoyed with his new bad habit of fingering on it.

A soothing voice rang in his ears for a brief moment but it was enough to give him a dizzy-spell. He braced himself against the wall for a moment, closing his eyes momentarily.

"Are you alright, Diablos?"

He turned to look at a worried Remus and smiled weakly in return.

"Fine," he said. "Must have eaten too little to breakfast; I'm feeling a bit dizzy."

Remus did not look fully convinced and to satisfy the werewolf Diablos walked slowly and let the man walk with him. He seated himself on his usual spot and looked over the table. Everyone was chatting while Dora levitated the food onto the table. She set out a plate at Diablos already filled with all of the food.

"Half of the food shall be gone before Dora returns," the house-elf warned Diablos.

"I think I will manage that," the man said and the others chuckled at the self-declared mother who huffed and continued levitating dishes up on the table. Diablos took water instead of wine, inwardly praising himself. He was getting better at withstanding the welcoming numbing of alcohol.

Diablos really tried to eat as much as he could, but whether he was nervous or his body simply refused he could not eat very much. After a third he was feeling nauseous and he closed his eyes for a moment. Something that went unnoticed except for Harry and Salerna. The two shared a look, both wondering what was wrong.

-

After lunch Diablos opted to lie down instead of following the others outside. He eased down on his side on the bed, feeling nervousness trying to force the food up again. He did not like it one bit and forced the nervousness back.

"Are you feeling sick, Dia?"

Harry's voice startled him and he turned his head to see his nephew cautiously step into the room.

"My stomach is mean today," Diablos said, "so yes, I feel a bit sick."

"Why?" Harry asked as he sat down.

"I don't know," the man lied. "Don't worry about me; go out and have some fun."

"I can't have fun if you're hurt."

"I'm not hurt, I just have a small stomach-ache. I've already asked Dora to get a potion to calm it down." It might help, it might not. Either some he was taking one.

The raven-haired child looked at his uncle, unsure whether to walk out or stay.

"Promise me that it's gonna be better later?" Harry pleaded.

"It's going to be better later," Diablos confirmed.

-

Or maybe not. Diablos convulsed once more and Dora held back his hair as he gagged. He leaned back against the wall tiredly and felt the house-elf gently clean his face. He had the sour taste of vomit in his mouth and nearly puked again because of it.

"Water, master. Rinse out the taste."

Diablos was now convinced Dora somehow had learned to read his thoughts as he accepted the glass. He moved the water around before spitting it out in the toilet. Dora flushed the toilet and said:

"Anything you require, master?"

"No," he said. "I'll just go to bed. Don't tell Harry."

"Little master shall enjoy his day," Dora said, "but if little master asks, Dora will tell."

"Evil creature," Diablos muttered as he slowly stood up on shaky legs. He held onto the wall for support and Dora said:

"Should Dora call for someone?"

"No, it's fine. I got you, don't I?"

The house-elf blushed at that, and Diablos took a deep breath. He slowly pushed himself from the wall and exited the bathroom. He managed to walk to the bed and slowly sat down. He unbuttoned his robe when he felt cool hands on his shoulders. He turned around and met grey eyes.

"I won't even ask how you managed to get in," Diablos said with a sigh to Odium. The man smiled and helped the raven-haired one to remove the robe.

"I am very sneaky," Odium concluded as he folded the robe neatly and gave it to Dora. She took it without hesitation and said:

"Something master or master Odium requires?"

"Nothing for me, Dora dear," Odium said. "Have you given Diablos a potion for his stomach?"

"Not yet," Dora said and pointed at a bottle. "Master was already ill when Dora came."

"Alright, then I'll give it to him. You may go."

Dora bowed, put away the robe and then vanished. Odium crept over to the table and snatched the potion from there.

"Drink this," he said gently and lifted Diablos' head a bit. The man drank it without questioning.

"What if Harry comes in?" Diablos asked even as he sank down into the comfort of his bed.

"I will not linger long," Odium said. "I just wanted to see what was wrong. Dora will look after you for us, she always has."

Diablos let himself be tucked in by the man and closed his eyes. He felt lips pressed against his temple and Odium said:

"Sweet dreams, little brother."

A moment later the man was gone. Diablos opened his eyes briefly before closing them again, curling up tighter underneath the covers.

-

Harry walked into the room a few hours later when dinner began to close in. He had met Dora who had told him Diablos had not been feeling well, and now the young teen was worried.

He walked up to the bed and saw Diablos asleep. A bottle to calm the stomach was on the night-stand, the potion already gone. Dora must have given it to the raven-haired man.

Harry sat down and gently shook his uncle's shoulder. Slowly the man's eyes opened and Harry was startled when he saw almost only blue. Normally the blue was merely around the edges of Diablos' eyes but now the red seemed to have retreated more than usually.

"Hi," Harry said as Diablos blinked at him. "Dora said you didn't feel well."

"My stomach…" the man mumbled.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"A bit… and hungry…"

"You're hungry? Well, it's dinner in a half-hour. Do you want to get up or should I ask Dora to bring some dinner to you?"

"I can get up," Diablos said and sat up. "How long did I sleep?"

"A few hours I think."

The man nodded and rubbed his eyes. Harry noted the man's robe was gone. Even if he had taken it off, he would have put it on the bed and Dora would have done the same. But now the robe was nowhere in sight. Why? He decided not to ask, as he knew his uncle would not answer.

Diablos rose up, now dressed in black slacks and a forest-green shirt that were wrinkled. He frowned as he looked at his clothes and snapped his fingers, smoothing the clothes out. He looked around for his shoes and said:

"Great, can't even remember where I put the shoes…"

"They are here," Harry said in amusement as he pulled them out from underneath the bed. "Dora always put the shoes underneath the bed."

"Oh… does she?"

"Yeah, when she thinks they are in the wrong spot."

"Evil creature," the man muttered as he slipped them on. "Shall we go then?"

"You sure you're fine?"

"I am pretty much fine now," Diablos said and to his embarrassment his stomach growled. "And hungry it seems."

"Good. I don't want to watch you starve."

-

Harry was nearly asleep when Diablos carefully entered the teen's room. He looked up with blurry eyes as Diablos sat down. A hand stroke his head and Harry let it fall down again.

"I never got the change to ask how your day was," Diablos said.

"It was good," Harry said. "Lots of fun… why did I get so many presents now again?"

"Because you have charmed every teacher and student on the school," Diablos said. "I and Salerna will have a mock-duel in a few days. Care to come and watch?"

"Yeah! I wanna watch!"

"I do think Lucius was going to bring his lord over," Diablos said and smiled. "Want us to go all out?"

"You guys never do anyway," Harry mumbled and looked up at Diablos. Red eyes glittered in the darkness. Somehow Harry felt Diablos was looking forward to it. That was never a good sign.

-

Voldemort looked around the platform and said:

"Is Italy's Auror school the only school with a complete duel-room?"

"I'm not quite sure," Lucius replied and looked at him. "But the teachers here sometimes duel to show the students a real fight. You wished to see Diablos fight; today it's his and Salerna's turn to do a duel."

"Salerna?"

"An Endurance teacher. He can fight for hours without getting tired."

"So can Dia!" a voice chirped.

They both turned around and were met by a grinning Harry.

"Harry?" Lucius asked.

"Dia promised me I could watch!" the teen said. "Plus I love to watch when he fights; he even said he was going to start swordsmanship again!"

"Does he teach that class or what?" the blonde asked as the teen bounced up to them.

"Nope; he took that class when he was young. He's going to start fighting with swords again is what I mean. He did it a little bit with him," at that Harry jabbed a thumb at Voldemort whose eyebrow twitched a bit, "but that was barely a fight."

"What?!" Voldemort said.

"Dia didn't even fight for real, neither did you," Harry said. "You saw it as a test, he as a game."

The students began to fill in now on the platform above the first floor. The platform was there so the duellists could have the whole first floor to themselves, and so that no one could be hurt. It was high in roof the room so the people who duelled had the space they needed. Voldemort looked down and saw the two teachers had entered the first floor.

Diablos was dressed in a silvery kind of robe, perfect for battle. He also wore thin black gloves, knee-high black boots and his hair up in a ponytail. Salerna had violet battle-robes on, and his hair was flowing free. His boots were low, and the robes looked slightly better than Diablos'.

"Who are the students?" Voldemort asked.

"The classes Salerna and Diablos are supposed to have this lesson," Harry said.

"Hi Harry!"

"Hi Michelle."

A girl, maybe nineteen years old, came over and gave the teen a hug.

"So Diablos couldn't keep you away any longer?" she asked.

"Nope! I'm gonna be here every day! It's so boring in the manor alone and no friends," the teen told her.

"Maybe he'll go easy on us then," Michelle said with a smile.

"Heh, not likely," Harry replied.

"Damn… oh well, you could always hope!" she said. "Gotta run!"

She ran over to her friends and dug out parchments and a quill from her bag before making her way over to the heightened desks the students could use to make notes.

"Are the students always this friendly?" Lucius asked.

"Yeah, they know me," Harry said. "Oh they are going to begin!"

The two snapped their heads down to see Salerna and Diablos standing a bit from each other in the middle of the room. Then Diablos spoke up, looking around at the students with a voice than suggested nothing else than a teacher's orders:

"On no conditions are you to interfere or try to help. We know what we are doing, and does not need inference. Today I will use Dark magic in combination with swordsmanship."

"I will use endurance and summons," Salerna stated and looked around. "Hence the reason I don't have my wand." The last was said cheekily and he grinned at the students, some of them laughed at their teacher's silliness. Diablos shook his head.

The red-eyed man slowly eased into a duel-position, quirking an eyebrow at Salerna. The white-haired man spread out on hand, fingers positioned as claws, and magic began to build up between them, looking like shards of electricity. Voldemort watched it with interest.

Salerna blurred out and a moment later Diablos stopped a well-placed kick with a shield. He whirled around and shot away three curses nonverbally, each of them in bright colours. Salerna swore and twisted his body around. They hit the wall and exploded. Diablos jumped backwards, two swords in his hands and his wand in the holster. He swung them around, creating a boost of magic around them, slick flames moving along the blades. The flames turning from blood red to black, shifting between the colours as Diablos' eyes glittered.

Voldemort and Lucius stared at the raven-haired man as he landed on the floor again. Salerna ran forward, his progress barely seen due to the speed and he summoned water to drop on Diablos. However the man got away and threw one of the swords towards Salerna like a boomerang, the flames widening for each turn the blade made. Salerna ducked quickly and blurred away again.

Diablos stood still and looked around, body tensed and ready to move. He only had one sword now, the other one was imbedded to one of the walls. He started off in a sprint suddenly, moving rapidly towards the sword.

Voldemort followed the man's progress across the room, eyes wide. He now realized he needed to train some more to catch up with this man. Diablos was considered a rather young wizard yet he was more powerful than Voldemort and Dumbledore.

What was his secret?

-

Harry bounced over to his uncle after the duel had been finished with both as winners; Salerna with his hand around Diablos' neck and one of the red-eyed man's swords at Salerna's neck. The raven-haired man was currently healing a rather nasty cut on his arm that Salerna managed to inflict but looked up as the teen closed in.

"Enjoyed it?" he asked.

"Yeah, although I didn't like it when you got hurt. Did you have to do that?"

"I wasn't planning on letting Salerna hurt me," Diablos shot back with mock-anger and then saw Lucius followed by Voldemort. "I didn't know you two were here." Harry rolled his eyes; like hell he did not know the two were there.

"He wished to see you duel," Lucius said and inclined his head to Voldemort. He could not call him 'my lord' or anything like that without waking curiosity from the crowds around them.

"Was I any good then?" the man asked, looking at the Dark Lord.

"Rather," Voldemort replied. "Pray tell me, how did you stick yourself to the wall? It takes a ridiculous amount of magic in order to do so."

"I know. I used a spell that makes the shadows cling to you, holding you up wherever you are," Diablos said. "It wasn't meant for sticking yourself to a wall standing straight, but it works due to my light weight."

Voldemort nodded thoughtfully. Harry sat down next to Diablos and said:

"Do you have another class now?"

"No, I have lunch."

"Yay, I was getting hungry!"

"Alright you brat, why don't we invite Mr Malfoy and Mr Riddle for lunch then?"

Voldemort's eyebrow twitched hearing his real name but did not say anything. Lucius gulped and looked at Diablos. The man had an unreadable glint in his eyes.

-

Harry was almost bouncing on his seat when Diablos allowed him dessert after lunch, and was looking through the various choices.

"Is he always this hyper?" Voldemort asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey!" the teen said, looking offended.

"Constantly," Diablos said.

"Oi!" Harry exclaimed. "Still here you know?"

"Yes, and?" Diablos asked with a sweet smile.

"Dia!"

"You know I'm evil, Harry, so why even questioning it?"

Harry stuck out his tongue and said:

"I want that one!"

Diablos looked where he pointed and said:

"You can have that one. Go and get it."

"Yay!"

The teen ran off and Diablos leaned back in his seat.

"Children and sugar are never a good combination," Lucius said with a shudder.

"Don't I know that," Diablos said.

"Why did you allow him then? He's going to be here for the rest of the day."

"A Harry high on sugar is a Harry who will torment my students," the red-eyed man said. "And he's rather good at it."

Lucius and Voldemort were slightly disturbed on the dreamy smile the raven-haired man wore.

-

Diablos heard a shriek at the back of the room and looked up briefly. Harry ran from the desk there, and a girl laughed helplessly at the teen's antics. Diablos merely smiled and returned to his grading.

After a while Harry came up to his desk and dragged forth a chair so he could sit as close as possible to his uncle.

"Is the sugar disappearing?" the man asked.

"Uh-hu."

It was the last class of the day so Harry had managed to have his sugar-rush for a good few hours. Now the teen looked a bit tired and Diablos chuckled.

"I dare say you managed to rile up my students a good bit."

"I try my best," Harry said with a grin.

-

"I don't want to go," Harry said stubbornly.

"Yes you want to," Diablos said as he continued to fold clothes. "You want this with you?"

Harry looked up at Diablos and nodded his head at the shirt. Diablos folded it as well and put it down in the trunk, continuing:

"You will feel sad for a few days before you get into the routine of the new year, and now you have the new subjects. In no time you will feel better."

"But I want to stay with you!"

"I know, and I want you to stay with me, but school is school and work is work," the red-eyed man said as he began unpacking the new books. "Are there any books you want to bring with your from the library?"

"No, I got all of the books I want right here," the teen said and pointed at the small pile of books. "Do I have to bring with me the old books?"

"From the previous years?"

"Yeah."

"It would be a good idea, if you need to check something up."

"Oh okay. The old books are already in the trunk, in that compartment."

Diablos opened and checked the shrunken books then nodded.

"Seems like they're all there."

He began to pack down the new books, and Harry watched him. Normally the teen would pack his stuff himself but he had put up a fight and Diablos had started packing. Even though Harry had calmed down by now the man had not stopped.

"I think that's all," Diablos said as he reached for the last book and put it down. "Anything else you want?"

"How about you, living with me?"

"Sorry, can't pack myself down. It's a bit cramped."

Harry cracked a smile at that but then it vanished and he moved to hug his uncle.

"Harry…"

"You're hiding something from me," the teen said and looked up at the man. "Or at least you're reluctant to say it."

"Harry…"

"Don't 'Harry' me and drop the subject. Say yes or no."

"I am… keeping something from you," Diablos admitted. "But it's… complicated… and I need time to figure it all out myself."

"You're not going to hide from me forever?"

"No," Diablos said, firmly this time. "You will know, I give you my word on that. I just… give me time, Harry, please."

They looked at each other and then Harry nodded. Diablos sighed in relief and said:

"Thank you."

Tbc…

* * *

Phew, finished. That just took a hell of time to write, gaaah! Need to get better on writing!

Chapter 26: Return to Hogwarts, and a lot of things happens. Up to Halloween. I admit I was lazy with this preview plus I don't really know what to write. I'll come up with things as we go along.

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	27. Chapter 26

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Thank you for all reviews!

My inspiration has not come back yet, rather it's moving over to Naruto and I have put some concentration into the anime instead. Unfortunately I've discovered I like the characters Kazuku and Hidan in Naruto and currently sucking up every story I can about those two (their arguments are funny because Kazuku can't kill Hidan no matter how much he wants to ^^).

Anyway, enjoy this chapter and hope that I will get better at writing!

-

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Harry hugged Diablos tightly and said:

"You better take care of yourself now."

"I will," the man promised and rolled his eyes.

"I mean it!"

"I know you do."

Diablos looked at the teen and smiled.

"Don't worry about me, I'll survive," the man said.

Harry huffed and finally stepped away.

"Harry! Draco!"

He turned around and saw Hermione come running, Padma not far behind. Draco also turned and grinned when he saw the two girls. They threw themselves onto the boys and Diablos and Lucius hid their smiles.

"Dia, I saw that!"

"Dad, what are you sniggering about?!"

The two looked at each other and chuckled.

"Dia!"

"Dad!"

The two girls joined the two men laughing.

-

Harry and his friends all met in one of the compartments, and as usual it was a tight fit. Seventh-year Marcus Flint was sitting on one of the window-seats, Miles who was in his sixth year next to him. Theodore and Blaise sat opposite of them, Hermione next to Miles and Fred next to Theodore. Harry sat on the floor, leaning his back against Draco's shoulder with George next to them. Padma was sitting on the floor next to Hermione and was talking wildly with the girl. Neville sat leaned against Fred's legs and was reading a book about Potions that surprisingly Lucius had suggested.

Harry was thinking on his uncle while the others chatted or read a book. Something big was going on. Diablos must be really nervous if he asked for time to sort everything out. Normally the man would just blurt the things out without problems or never say them at all when they were not worth mentioning.

Now he wanted to tell Harry something… but he needed some time to figure out the right way to tell it. That was rare, and somewhat worrying. Harry was worried what it was about. He had a feeling it had something to do with him and Diablos.

But he was still not sure he wanted to know what the man had to say.

-

"Unfortunately Gilderoy Lockhart was unable to continue as Defence professor, so this year's professor in Defence is Alastor Moody!"

Harry clapped half-heartedly as he looked at the man. The spinning eye freaked him out.

"He looks weird," he said to Draco.

"He's an old Auror," the blonde whispered. "Dad says he's kinda crazy now, even way when he was still working for the Ministry. But he's dangerous, and he's known to be firmly on Dumbledore's side."

"He's staring at me," Harry said nervously. It was true; Moody seemed to be fixed upon Harry and the teen did not feel comfortable with it. Why could there not be a normal teacher in DADA for once?

Hermione and Padma, both used to sit at the Slytherin table and the Slytherins used to the two Ravenclaws, moved so that Harry was behind them and both girls glared up at the new professor. As if being stung, he looked away and his magical eye looked through the Ravenclaw table.

"The glares of doom," Draco said dramatically. "You two should tell your trick to Diablos, so he can work on it as well."

"Dia has already his arsenal of glares," Harry moaned. "No need to give him more."

-

"You know what to do."

Moody looked over at Dumbledore and made sure that no one looked or heard before saying:

"Trying to bring the Potter kid over to the Light side? Sure, no problem."

"His uncle is getting a real annoyance now," Dumbledore said bitterly, "but I can't touch him. He's under protection from the Italian minister."

"Then make him look bad."

"That is not as easy as it looks," the headmaster said. "I've tried to think up with several plans and every one of them has failed so far."

"Kill him," the ex-Auror said.

"That is more or less impossible to kill him with an attack."

"Poison him then," Moody said. "That's the quickest way, and the safest."

"I'm working on it, but it's not easy to find a poison. That man knows his fair deal of poisons and potions," Dumbledore said, troubled. Why could not that man just die already??

"Why not use Snape?"

"He's friend with Diablos," the old man said and looked over at the potions master briefly. He was discussing something with Flitwick. "I can't trust him anymore. He listens to Diablos' orders rather than mine."

"Fire him," Moody hissed. He had never liked Snape, and for his life could not figure out why Dumbledore had kept him out of Azkaban.

"There is no one with his knowledge in England," Dumbledore said. "Once Voldemort is dead, Diablos dead or in prison and Harry on our side will I throw him to Azkaban. There he can enjoy the last of his days in the company of Dementors."

Neither man remembered that the Transfiguration teacher had very sharp ears. Minerva's eyes narrowed.

-

Harry's first day had gone well until after the DADA-class.

"Mr Potter, would you mind stay behind?"

He looked warily at the heavily scarred man but nodded.

"I'll wait outside," Draco said.

"No need for that, Mr Malfoy," Moody said.

"Excuse me sir, but I do what I want," the blonde replied. "I'll wait outside Harry."

"Me too," Neville said. Before Moody could say anything the two walked out of the room.

"Is there something special you want, sir?" Harry asked and felt tension slip into his body as the man waved the door shut.

"I want to make some things clear to you, Potter, about your so called uncle."

"I'm not sure I want to hear this, so if you excuse me---"

"Entertain an old man and listen," Moody said. It was not a suggestion and a bit scared at the harsh tone, Harry stayed put, looking at the man. "I don't know what Diablos Potter has said to you, but you surely shouldn't have listened to him."

"Give me one reason not to."

"Because he is dark. Have you ever seen him use the right magic?"

"The right magic?" Harry questioned. "I asked a History teacher once, she was teaching at a school in Italy, about magic. She said herself that dark and black magic originally comes from Mother Earth, and it's not evil unless used to hurt people."

"Your uncle teaches out spells that hurt people," Moody stressed, coming closer, his wooden leg thumping on the floor. Harry took a step back and replied:

"He tells about them, and the means to protect yourself against them. Everyone uses dark spells in war, even Aurors."

"You don't listen---"

"No, it's you and the headmaster that got something stuck up your ass about dark magic!" the teen shouted and Moody stopped, shock written on his face. Harry was too angry to stop now. "I don't know what you were told, professor, about anything when it comes to dark magic but I know that Dia uses what is called earth magic. Before it was called dark magic, it was earth magic. It's people who invented Crucio and Avada Kedavra that made earth magic look bad."

"Do you even listen to yourself?! You've been brainwashed by that man!"

"Dia never told me that! I asked him, years ago, and he told me I should ask someone who knew magic history. He knew vaguely what dark magic really was, but knew someone else could explain it better, and would have the right facts," Harry said and looked at the man angrily. "It's _you_ people who just choose to ignore some things so it can fit in your fucked-up logic."

He walked out.

-

"--And then he said I had been brainwashed by you, and I really wanted to hit him right then--"

Diablos winced as he listened on Harry's rant; the teen sure knew how to be loud. But the man could not blame him; that damn Moody had set Harry on rampage, and now the teen had been locked into his room he shared with Draco and Theodore, the latter two not present of course, and told to yell himself calm. And naturally Harry had contacted Diablos so he could both yell himself calm and give information of what had happened.

Finally Harry was left panting on the bed and Coran finally dared to come up from underneath the bed. The snake snuggled up against Harry and the teen wearily stroke the snake's head with a finger.

"Sooo… bad first day?" Diablos dared to ask.

"… Something like that," Harry replied. "If he continues--"

"--yes, I will make sure something changes," Diablos said. "He didn't have any right just go on sprouting out things like that, but it seems like Dumbledore is fully convinced if you're on their side, the Prophecy will be real and you will kill Voldemort."

"I don't want him dead."

"Who?"

"Voldemort, stupid."

"Don't call your uncle stupid, that's rude," Diablos whined. "Anyway, you don't want him dead, why not?"

"No… it's strange… I mean, he killed mum and dad but… it's not really his fault, he didn't know. If he had known, he wouldn't have done it right?"

"I think at least he wouldn't have cornered them like he did," Diablos said. "He most likely would've given them a fair chance."

"Do you want him dead?"

"… No."

"Why not?"

"As you said, not everything is his fault. Sure, he's an evil man and has killed a lot of people without remorse, will continue do so but he was tricked into believing this," Diablos said. He had other reasons, but that was for later… or maybe never. "He was tricked so Dumbledore could shine, be a hero."

"I hate heroes."

"Some of them think a bit too highly of themselves," the raven-haired man said. "Dumbledore definitely does. But not all heroes are bad, are they?"

"Well… they're okay in stories."

"What kind of stories?"

"Dia, you're distracting me," Harry whined.

"Rather want to stay angry at something you can't do anything about?"

"… Why are you always right?"

Diablos opened his mouth.

"Don't bother answering," the teen muttered to which Diablos smiled at. "Where were we?"

"In what kind of stories are heroes okay?" Diablos asked.

"Uuum… like Hercules."

"In the old Greek myths?"

"Yeah, him. He's okay."

"I suppose he is; it was a while since we read any of those stories."

"I guess but it would be weird if you starting reading aloud for me again."

"I suppose it would be," the man said with a smile. "It would look cute though."

"Dia!" Great, now he was blushing. "You-You did that on purpose!"

"Oh, how did you guess that?"

"You just want me to feel embarrassed!"

"Wherever did you get that thought from?" Diablos asked innocently. And as we all are familiar with, Diablos sounding innocent did not fool anyone.

"Dia!"

-

Harry made a good show of ignoring both Moody and Dumbledore when he ate in the Great Hall, and his friends was only too glad to glare at the two once in a while.

It had been a week now and Moody tried to snare Harry after each class, but now no one waited for Moody to speak, they just dragged Harry out of the room (not that he complained) and left Moody feeling frustrated.

"Have you talked to Sev?" Draco asked.

"Yeah. Dumbledore doesn't trust him, but he will still do anything in his power to help me," the teen said. "Plus we got professor Flitwick and professor McGonagall with us, two both very powerful and important to Hogwarts."

-

Diablos looked up as the flames flared to life and was surprised to see Minerva McGonagall step into his living room.

"Professor McGonagall?" he said uncertainly.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," the stern witch said.

"As you can see, it's not much you're interrupting," the man said and gestured to the book he had been reading. "Is there something wrong?"

"I want to warn you," she said and sat down. "I know Albus is obsessed to defeat Voldemort but I'm beginning to doubt his reasoning. He says Voldemort is destroying the Wizarding World while I do think it's the opposite; Albus is the one doing the destruction."

"What?" Diablos looked at her in shock. She knew??

"And in order to continue to do so, he must get rid of Voldemort. In order to do that, he wants Harry to fall for a false Prophecy," Minerva said. "And to succeed with that, he wants to get rid of you."

Diablos' eyes widened.

"May I come with a suggestion?" she said.

"… O-of course."

"Please check your food and drinks for any potions or poisons before you eat it."

-

"Guys, something's wrong isn't it?"

Fred and George looked up at Harry who sat down by the table in the library.

"Well…" The two looked at each other before Fred continued, "Ron's been an ass."

"That's not news," Harry said with a frown.

"He's been telling all people he can we're evil," George stated. "That's what's wrong."

"What?! He can't just do that!"

"Harry, even our own parents believe him," Fred said and looked at the teen whose eyes widened. "We lived with Bill last summer; we will continue to do so."

"Your family is fucked up," Harry said.

"Don't we know that," the twins sighed. "Don't we know that…"

-

"Diablos, are you alright?"

The man looked up from his prepared lunch from Dora and stared at Salerna. They were seated in the restaurant in the school, both having lunch-break.

"Not really," the raven-haired man said.

"Why not?"

"I was given an advice from one of my old professors at Hogwarts…"

"And…?" Salerna did not like the look Diablos wore.

"She told me to be cautious of what I eat and drink basically."

"What?"

"Salerna… I think Dumbledore is going to try to kill me."

Salerna's eyes widened.

"What in the fucking hell?!" he hissed and leaned closer. "When did she tell you?!"

"A few days ago," Diablos said. "Why do you think I have everything prepared by Dora?"

"But… house-elves fall easier to the Imperio…"

"Not Dora. This may seem cruel of me, but I've made sure she can't be controlled."

"You don't mean…"

"No, I didn't throw Imperio on her until she could throw it off herself," Diablos said sharply. "I would never do that to her. I have simply given her the will-power to push away any spells that would be able to control her actions."

"That… that means… she has wizard magic in her," Salerna said. "Diablos, that's an incredible gift you have given her."

"Why do you think she is more stubborn than me?" Diablos asked with a weak smile. "She knows she wins in the end."

"So… she makes sure nothing wrong is in your food?"

"Yeah," the man said and rubbed his hair. "Getting a bit tired of it though. Dumbledore is going to do something rash sooner or later."

-

"Harry, you are going to have a permanent twitch on your left eyebrow soon."

The teen looked over at Hermione and took a few deep breaths.

"He's very annoying person, that Moody," he said with his eyes closed.

"Very annoying, indeed," Draco agreed. Padma and Neville nodded. "What should we do?"

"I get the feeling this is a guy no one should prank if they want to keep their lives," Harry said, "so if it gets worse I'll tell Dia. He can be scary."

"He is scary," Hermione said. "Someone make a wrong move against you, and he brings hell down on them."

"Well… not all the time."

"Alright, only like 99 percent of the time," Draco said.

Harry winced.

"True," he said.

-

Severus was talking to Flitwick when they heard a familiar mutter coming towards them. The two looked at each other and then down the hall. They had just been up at Dumbledore who had again without success trying to make Harry be with the Ravenclaws more than the Slytherins.

They both blinked as Diablos rounded the corner, muttering strings of curses under his breath.

"Diablos?" Flitwick asked.

"Merlin, three weeks into the new year and he's already giving me migraine," the raven-haired man exclaimed, rubbing his forehead. "Will there ever come a time when Dumbledore is not making me go insane?!"

"Diablos, what happened this time?" Severus asked. "Harry told us about Moody but we thought…"

"Well, whatever you thought was wrong," Diablos snapped. He was not in the mood to deal with Dumbledore. He had not eaten breakfast yet even though it was eleven but it was because Dora had found Basilisk venom in the food at home, and was currently investing how it got there. Diablos had as a precaution warned the place where he got the food from about the venom, and they had immediately send out urgent notes to all people they had delivered to before thanking him repeatedly for telling. Otherwise they could have a lot of dead people on their consciousness, a guilt they never should have to carry.

"Diablos, are you alright?"

"Damnit, I'm not alright. I'm irritated, I'm tired, I have too much work to do, and I'm so hungry I could kill a werewolf and eat it raw," the man raged on. "And now this! Someone up in that fucked-up heaven hates me."

Grumbling under his breath, he got to the gargoyle that had learned to just jump aside when he came. The two teachers stared after Diablos as he stomped up the stairs.

"Do we want to hear what they have to say?" Flitwick wondered.

"I think I should stay just to make sure Diablos doesn't kill anyone…"

-

Dumbledore froze when he saw who it was. Then he was slowly filled with fury that he luckily held down, and he said tightly:

"What is it this time, Mr Potter?"

"I am currently growing permanently deaf on my left ear as it stands, due to the many shout-calls I get each day from my nephew," Diablos said, vein ticking. "And for some reason it's about your professor Alastor Moody, who seems intent on making Harry furious with his talk."

"Alastor merely wants to speak with the child."

"Really? Just speak?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said with a big fake smile. Try to spit out a good answer to that.

"Then why does Alastor Moody always stray to the same thing; on how apparently evil I am and how much better the world would be if I was simply killed?" Diablos said. "Harry beings to grow tired of it, and I admit so I am."

Dumbledore froze; he had not told Moody to do such a direct approach!

"I don't want to hear any explanations," Diablos said, holding up a hand when Dumbledore opened his mouth. "It would only make my food fouler than it already is, and you don't want to see me in that state. I came here, as it seems my very presence ticks you off and that makes me a very happy man, just to tell you to stop your little paranoid ex-Auror to professor from harassing my nephew. If I still receive any word from Harry that he hasn't stopped, the consequences will not be pretty."

With that, he left.

-

Salerna found Diablos in the living room later that day, sprawled out on a couch and a pack of ice on his forehead. They both had afternoon-classes and therefore not required to go to the school just yet.

"Did you fall and hit yourself?" the white-haired man asked, confused.

"The headache potion isn't working, and my head's killing me," Diablos moaned.

"Is it another Dumbledore-headache?"

"Yes," the man said and looked at the older one. "Why aren't you at home with Cissi and Ginny?"

"I was just going out a bit," Salerna said.

"Going out a bit?"

"Cissi usually knows I'm going to see how you are doing, and Ginny is beginning to learn that as well."

"Has she tried to prank you yet?" Diablos asked as he watched Salerna get comfortable in a chair next to the couch.

"Three times," the white-haired man said with a bit of wince. "I managed to dodge two."

"And the third time?"

"Purple paint," Salerna moaned. "It took hours to get it all away!"

Diablos chuckled at that, and then groaned as the movement jarred his sore head.

"Don't laugh," Salerna said. "You'll just hurt yourself more."

"It usually stops within the hour, and I've already been here for thirty minutes so… I should be fine soon."

"Fine enough to go to bed and sleep," Salerna said. "No teaching for you today."

"But I…"

"But nothing," Salerna declared. "You know after one of these headaches, you only end up being angry at everything. I'll speak to Maria, and have someone jump in to do your classes."

Seeing the man's look, Diablos had to give in.

-

"Phew…"

"Has professor Moody stopped?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Not entirely, but he's calmed down a lot," the teen said. "I guess the headmaster knows better than to piss us Potters off. Although Dia is the one of us that manages to scare Dumbledore more."

"Don't worry, in a few years you will have a perfect Diablos-glare you can point at anyone," Draco said and turned page in his book. They were seated in the library, doing some homework before dinner.

"I will?"

"Most likely," the blonde said. "People say that I already got my dad's trademark smirk and eyebrow lift. And you got Diablos' temper sometimes."

"Well, I guess that's true," Harry said with a wince. He could blow up from time to time, and the result was not pretty.

"The main thing is that professor Moody has stopped that nonsense," Padma said. "Now we can finally concentrating on having some fun."

"I like that suggestion!" a voice said behind them. They turned around to see Fred and George, grinning from ear to ear. They both came and sat down between Padma and Neville before Fred continued, "How about some fun in the Dining Hall?"

"What have you two planned this time?" Hermione asked.

"Well, if you want to see it without being affected, don't eat lunch tomorrow. Just sit back and enjoy the show."

-

Diablos waved the door opened as someone knocked on it before continuing to grade essays.

"Good evening."

He glanced up at the Dark Lord and said:

"Evening. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"You showed me the liquefied Incendio once," Voldemort said and sat down.

"Yes," Diablos said and made one last mark on the essay before putting it on the pile that already held the finished graded papers. He focused on the man sitting in front of him. "What about it?"

"I know you and I don't agree on many topics."

"You want to use it," Diablos said.

"Not in battle," Voldemort said. "Don't worry about that. I have a few people who are going to the northern Russia, and they aren't allowed much magic to use. I would like to ask you for the potion purely for the need of a quick fire."

The raven-haired man looked at the Dark Lord for a little while. The man was sincere, however strange that was.

"How much do you need?" he asked softly.

"Two bottles," Voldemort said. "Nothing more. I'll pay you for it."

"No need," Diablos said. "Consider it a gift from an ally."

"… You never called yourself an ally to me before."

"Things change," the man said and rose up. "I will sound a bit like you now, but Dumbledore needs to die."

"Why?"

"Survival instinct I guess. Either him or me; I prefer it to be him who dies just as he prefer it to be me who will die," Diablos said and looked at Voldemort. The man tensed and narrowed his eyes before saying:

"Has he threatened you?"

"A few days ago I found Basilisk venom in all food in the house," Diablos said and looked down at the desk. "Dora stopped me from eating it; had she not been there I would have died."

Voldemort stared.

"Has he gone that far?" the man finally asked as he and Diablos walked out of the office.

"The moment I took Harry from the Dursleys he has wanted me dead," Diablos said with a bitter smile. "One day he may succeed. That's why…"

"That's why what?"

"I need Harry to be safe," the man continued and walked briskly downstairs. "If I will die before Dumbledore, I will not give him the pleasure to destroy Harry's life."

Voldemort wanted to ask more questions when Diablos hissed and clutched onto something. The man peered to have a look.

A glowing necklace was tightly grasped in the raven-haired man's hand, and Diablos closed his eyes. After a few moments the glowing slowly calmed down.

"What is that?" the Dark Lord asked.

"My secret," Diablos said and unclenched his hand from the necklace. "He gets upset every time I speak like I'm going to die." He continued walking while the Dark Lord looked after him.

"… He?" Voldemort said quietly, confused.

-

Draco looked at the food but did not take anything. Harry looked around the place and said:

"They better come up with something good, because I'm starving."

"I should have it delivered a bit later," Hermione said.

"What delivered?" the two boys asked.

"Our lunch."

"Eh?"

"Our lunch," she repeated and lowered the Daily Prophet; she had not had time to read it during breakfast.

"We got that but how?" the blonde teen asked.

"Professor McGonagall felt like eating in Hogsmeade today along with a friend of hers," the girl said and peered at them. "She happened to take a few portions back here."

"Really? Hermione, you're a life-saver!" Harry said.

"Thank professor McGonagall later."

Suddenly they heard laughter and looked to see what was happening. They gaped.

It sat a rabbit on one of the benches to the Hufflepuff table; obviously it had been a student not long ago. Another poof and a Gryffindor was turned into a cat that meowed in confusion. More clouds of smoke delivered one animal after another, sending the Great Hall into a state of amusement and chaos.

The Head Table had not been affected, as Fred and George must have figured out the teachers were needed for this, and it was great fun to see the teachers' looks at the chaos. Moody turned to Dumbledore and said:

"Does this happen a lot?"

"Unfortunately yes," the headmaster said and put his head in one of his hands, leaning his elbow to the table. "Normally I would point my finger at the Weasley twins but they have been affected more than once by it."

Moody looked around the hall. Some people had not started eating so nothing had happened, and they quickly figured out what had happened. His magical eye went over to see what was happening to Potter.

The raven-haired teen caught a goose, obviously someone he knew, and shielded it from a dog. Granger caught a fluffy kitten and held it close to her chest with one hand, chasing off a hawk with her other. Padma helped her while Draco managed to get the dog to stop jumping around Harry, a puppy already in one of his hands.

George held a small tiger in his arms, and it was most likely his brother. Neville caught a small bird and glared at an eagle.

Dumbledore sighed as he rose; yet another typical day…

-

"So has everyone turned back?"

"Well, Theodore still has fluffy cat ears," Harry said thoughtfully, "and hasn't stopped blushing."

"Why not?" Diablos asked, confused.

"Well, because he was pressed up against Hermione's chest and I guess he felt it was a bit embarrassing," the teen said. "It didn't help when Hermione told him he was cute in kitty-form."

Diablos stifled a chuckle.

"What about the others?"

"Well, Fred was a bit disappointed George didn't let him stay as a tiger, and we got a new friend today."

"Really now?"

"Her name's Luna, she's in second year in Ravenclaw," Harry said. "She turned into a bird and Neville caught her. She seems a bit weird, spacing out a lot, but she's rather smart. Hermione and Padma love her already; they claim we're too many boys."

"Well, go and get some more girls into your group."

"We have three already, and I don't want any weird ones."

"Well, Luna, Hermione and Padma are those who are considered weird," Diablos said.

"Not for us," the teen replied. "Normal girls are the weird ones. I rather have Hermione, Padma and Luna; they at least make sense when they talk. Oh, and so does Ginny but she doesn't go here anymore."

Diablos shook his head.

"How was your day otherwise the chaos?"

"Actually, we got the free day after lunch because all teachers were needed to get all the students turned back to normal."

"They had an antidote?"

"It was in the Infirmary when they got there. Fred and George were nicer this time."

"That was very kind of them, letting Poppy save some of her hair from turning grey."

Harry laughed.

-

Later when they had stopped speaking did Harry realize something.

"How did Dia know about Hermione and Padma being considered weird?" he asked to no one, frowning a bit. "I never said that… right?"

Coran looked up at him but said nothing.

-

"Since it's been very popular these last two years, we will continue with the tradition of allowing guardians to Hogwarts during the Halloween dinner," Dumbledore announced and looked around the hall. "So please inform your guardians of the date and time, and I'm sure it will be a very nice evening for us all!"

"Hah, I won," Harry said with a grin.

"What?" Draco asked as the others looked at him in confusion.

"I made a bet with Dia. He thought Dumbledore wasn't going to continue with it," the teen said. "I won."

"What did you win?"

"Secret!"

"Come on!" Hermione begged.

"You can't tell anyone if I tell you," Harry said. "Only our friends."

Padma and Hermione both waved their wands and said:

"Alright, now no one can listen."

"Okay," the teen said and looked at the two girls and Draco. Theodore and Blaise were seated a bit away, and Marcus and Miles both had Quidditch-training. Neville, Fred and George sat never at the Slytherin table to avoid suspicions. "Dia promised me to take me through the basics of Swordsmanship if I won the bet."

"No way!" Hermione gasped. "That's so cool!"

"I know," Harry said with a grin. "So he has to do that during Christmas with me."

Then he remembered the thing Diablos had to tell him. Would that be revealed during Christmas as well? Would he like it? Would he hate it?

Would it be so bad… he might not like Diablos anymore after that?

-

"What is troubling you, brother of mine?"

Diablos hardly reacted as Arsenic's arm slid over his shoulder. She peered down at him worriedly.

"Harry knows I'm hiding something," he said and put away the book he had been trying to read. "He knew by just looking at me."

"But he didn't get angry, did he?"

"No… he was just curious."

"Then maybe it all will be okay," she soothed. "Now, what are you reading?"

"Advanced Swordsmanship."

"You've done the traditional already?"

"With a bit of practice, I will be as good as I was then."

"Deadly fangs," she murmured. "Maybe me and Odium must get you real blades then?"

"Arsenic… you waste way too much money on me."

"We have the right to spoil you," she said. "And we will continue to do so. What else are we supposed to buy?"

He began to answer and she put a finger against his lips.

"I don't want to hear it," she said. "I will say against it anyway."

"You two never change."

"Be happy we don't," she said. "I have given Dora some potions in case she misses something in your food. If you are in real danger, she will use the two-way mirror."

"You worry too much of me," the red-eyed man said.

"We happen to like you alive," Arsenic muttered.

-

"So you're coming on Halloween?"

"You think I'm not?"

"Great! Now, about that bet…"

"I know," Diablos sighed. "I owe you the basics of Swordsmanship."

"Yes!"

"We'll go over it all during Christmas break," Diablos said, and hoped that by then not all would be destroyed.

Tbc…

* * *

I know said up till Halloween but let's save that to the next chapter.

And sorry for the month-long wait; realized the date today and went all 'Holy shit, I HAVE to update!'-mood and therefore not someone one should talk to (I was really snappish and glared at everything I could get away with glaring at).

Anyway… I got it done, small sparks of inspiration due to some music, yay!

Chapter 27: Halloween. Dumbledore grows more paranoid, and Moody is even worse. Slowly Harry starts to catch more of Diablos' slips, revealing Diablos knows things he shouldn't… and the teen begins to realize who his uncle is. Up to Christmas.

May take a while to get this out, I fear I've taken on too much right now with all my stories. That's why it might take a while, because I have to focus on all of them (how many are it now again, ten?)

Until then,

Ja,

Tiro


	28. Chapter 27

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

First of all, I'm very sorry for the long wait!

I've moved, and of course I had no internet for a while. Guess who was crawling up and down the walls just driving everyone nuts?

Yeah, me. The thought of not be able to satisfy you guys and all that made me go crazy! Well, here it is though once I pushed away my stubborn writer's block. Enjoy it fully!

-

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"Dia!"

Diablos caught his nephew and smiled a bit as he felt the tight hug Harry gave him, like they had not seen each other for three years. The man took a moment to remember this, in case he would never receive a hug again…

No, not getting depressed before-hand. Focus on now, ignore future. He was getting better at doing that.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he released the teen. "Oh, hello you all."

He sent a small wave to all of Harry's friends and a few of them gave him a hug as well. Suddenly he stood before a girl with dirty blonde hair with a permanent expression of faint surprise on her face. She had her wand behind her ear.

"Hello," he said. "You must be Luna."

"You must be Harry's uncle," she said dreamily. "I like your necklace."

"Thank you very much, yours is very nice too." It was made of Butterbeer corks.

As if a moment of understanding passed between the two, they both nodded and Luna went to greet her father.

"Wow."

"What?" Diablos said and turned to look at the children around him.

"You speak so easily with her," Harry said. "How come you said her necklace was nice?"

"Because it would be rude to say it was ugly? Besides, it was a bit nice. Shall we go, or should we wait for everyone?"

The children stared at him.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You're weird," Harry concluded.

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

-

"So that's Diablos Potter…" Moody muttered.

He watched the raven-haired man sit down and listen to whatever Harry was saying before laughing a bit. His eyes were a mix of blue and red, but for Moody it was only the eyes of a devil. A devil that needed to die in order to destroy the dark.

"We need to get rid of his house-elves," Moody whispered fiercely to Dumbledore. "You know, because they warn him before he eats. Either put them under Imperio or kill them."

"One thing is to poison the food," the headmaster said angrily, "another is to try break into his manor. It's impossible; the wards are far too strong."

"Have someone break them down."

"The only ward-breaker we had was Bill, and he is openly siding with Diablos."

"Then we'll find another one."

The next time Moody looked over to the Slytherin table, Diablos' eyes were ready to meet his, both normal and magical. The ex-Auror saw the blue edging away, allowing red to take over. Those eyes bore into his, dared him to move, to breathe, to make even the _tiniest_ sound…

Then Diablos looked away, the spell was broken, the ex-Auror could move again, his heart hammering in his chest as he sucked in a breath. Just what the hell was that man?

-

"You don't seem to like Alastor Moody that much."

Diablos turned to look at Lucius who arched an eyebrow.

"No, I don't," the raven-haired man said. "Never did. I'm not sure why; he just gives me that feeling he hates people like me."

"Yeah, I know the feeling as well," Lucius said. "I wonder what Dumbledore was thinking when he hired Moody. Last time I checked, that man didn't even like children."

"Does Dumbledore ever think?" Diablos asked.

"… There may be some truth in that."

-

"Aah, for once we had a smooth dinner and evening," Diablos said pleasantly as they moved out to the hall.

Harry snorted at him and said:

"Smooth and smooth. You and Lucius seemed to try glaring professor Moody to death."

"He started it," Diablos protested. "We merely fought back!"

"How the hell do you call glaring fighting?" Harry asked.

"Language young man," the raven-haired man said and rapped him on the head.

"Hey!"

"Never go up against your old man," Diablos said with a small smile.

"You just love to annoy me," the teen said and made a swipe towards the man who dodged and pulled him into a hug instead.

"Of course I do, but I love to annoy Sirius even more."

"Oh, what a comfort," the teen said and rolled his eyes.

"At least he doesn't see it coming."

"I know you too well."

'Do you, Harry?' Diablos thought with a sad smile.

-

Diablos looked up from his book when he heard something land. Hedwig looked at him and he said:

"Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts?"

She flew down from the bookshelf and landed on the arm of his chair, staring up at him.

"Hedwig?"

She nuzzled his arm before settling in for the evening. He looked at her oddly and said:

"Well, I never said you were a normal owl…"

-

"Is it only me or has the headmaster gone more paranoid?"

Harry looked up at Hermione and said:

"He's always been paranoid, Hermione. What's the difference?"

"He keeps glancing around in the Great Hall and talks with professor Moody a lot more than before," the girl said. "You don't think they're planning something stupid?"

"They always are," the boy replied and the others agreed. Except for Luna. She was chasing… something only she appeared to be able to see where they sat outside. They let her do it. "But we can check them out a bit more, just in case. See what they might plan. Now, who wants to discuss Severus' homework with me?"

Everyone groaned except for Hermione who happily dug out her Potions book and the assignment the potions master had given them.

-

"Well, it was a while since I last saw you."

Orator merely smiled and sat down in an armchair opposite of Diablos before saying:

"May I ask why your house-elf is packing all your bread at the front door?"

"Because it's a potion in the bread that will make you puke blood until you died," Diablos said, not looking up from the book he was reading, therefore missing the vampire's stare. "She fancied me alive more than death by puking, and hence forbid me to eat breakfast."

"It's ten in the morning."

"And considering I've been up since six, I would love some breakfast," the man said.

"Master can have this; Dora has checked it all and prepared it herself."

The man looked up hearing the small creature's voice and watched her put down a tray with a bowl of porridge, some slices of both apple and orange, and a steaming cup of tea.

"Looks lovely, thank you Dora," Diablos sat absently as he put the book away. "Would you like something, Orator?"

"A cup of tea would be nice," the vampire said to the house-elf who nodded and went back to get him tea. "I see you're wearing the necklace."

"Yes, the body isn't finished."

"Aah, yes, you need to build it up in a different way than us," Orator said. "But it's dangerous keeping it with yourself. The soul might get ideas."

"If this one tries anything, he knows he'll regret it for the rest of his miserable life," Diablos said before taking a sip of the tea and the vampire stared at him.

"How well do you know this person?"

"… Well."

"Diablos," the vampire warned.

"He's not going to hurt me," Diablos said and looked at Orator. "I promise you that."

-

**A few days later**

Diablos looked at the different foods in the kitchen. He was not sure if Dora had checked anything, and the house-elf was out at the moment.

He tapped his finger to his chin. His stomach growled irritably in hunger. Should he take a chance and eat or should he wait?

-

**Meanwhile at Hogwarts **

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" the teen asked as Fred and George sat down by their table. Luna was consulting a book, reading it upside down with a random giggle coming up from behind it. No one reacted at that. Hermione and Padma were doing homework while Draco and Neville were looking in a Quidditch magazine.

"That Moody is getting awfully interested in having you on their side," George said.

"I know," Harry groaned. "It's freaking me out now, him staring at me all class and then trying to snare me afterwards. Luckily someone is quicker to drag me away."

"Remind me to thank Blaise later for doing that," Draco suddenly said. "I was busy putting away the books."

"I thought he was going to get me that time," the raven-haired teen said.

"Who?" Theodore said as he sat down.

"Professor Moody," the raven-haired teen said.

"He's scary," the other teen said. "He just yelled at me."

"For what?" Hermione asked.

"No clue," Theodore said. "I'm a Slytherin?"

"Harry, is your uncle feeling fine?" Luna suddenly asked.

"What? Eeh… he should be. Why are you wondering?"

"I mean if he's feeling fine at this very moment," Luna stressed, lowering the book. Her eyes were wide, as usual. "You never know with unchecked food and crazy people who wants you on their side."

He sat still for a moment or two before he realized what she implied. His eyes widened and he patted his pockets.

"Shit, I forgot the mirror in my room!"

-

Diablos looked up from his book as the mirror gave off a soft sound. He reached for it and opened it.

"Harry?" he asked worriedly at seeing the boy's flushed expression, like the teen had been running.

"You okay, Dia?"

"Yes, I'm quite fine," the man replied. "What's wrong?"

Harry's shoulder sagged in relief and the man got even more worried.

"Harry?"

"Dia, is someone trying to poison you?"

Diablos' eyes widened.

"I don't… recall telling you," the man said lamely, "but yes. Someone is trying to poison me." Why lie, and make it worse? Harry would find out anyway about it.

"Don't tell me it's Dumbledore," Harry whispered. He was alone in the room, the others waiting outside worriedly. He had told them to let him speak with Diablos alone.

"Who else?" Diablos said. "What made you check on me?"

"Luna told me basically."

"What? How in the name of Merlin…?" Diablos said. Then he said quietly, "Well, Luna will always be Luna I guess."

"But you're fine?"

"Yes, I am. I was going to try and test eating without knowing if Dora had checked it, but decided against it. She came back ten minutes later anyway, so it was fine." But man had his stomach complained for those ten minutes.

"Was it poisoned?" the teen wanted to know.

"… The bread was," the red-eyed man said. "So no bread for me today. Don't worry too much about me, Harry; I got Dora who checks on me. She won't let me eat something before she has checked it and goes on a rampage when another house-elf tries to check it instead of her."

"Remind me to thank her repeatedly when I get back," Harry muttered.

"As you wish, sir."

-

Once they had finished, Harry looked at the closed mirror for a long time.

"Luna will always be Luna?" Harry repeated quietly. Coran looked at him worriedly from his spot on the bed. "You've only met her once, Dia… right?"

-

Diablos put a hand on the necklace as it glowed softly. Dora looked at him and said:

"Is something wrong, master?"

"No, everything is fine," he said to her.

She looked at the necklace and put down the tray with tea and scones.

"Eat it all up, master, otherwise he won't stop glowing," she warned before disappearing. He looked after her and said:

"How the hell does she know everything?"

A dark chuckle resonated in the room, subtle whispers coming from the necklace before it stopped glowing.

-

"What are you up to now?"

"Nothing!" Harry said. "Dia, we are actually very good students who makes their homework!"

"From time to time," the man coughed out and the teen mock-glared at him. "I surrender; what is it?"

"We need help with a chapter in history," the raven-haired teen said.

"We who?"

"Me, Draco, Hermione, Padma and Neville. Theodore and Blaise haven't joined us yet, they landed themselves in detention with professor Moody," Harry said.

"What did they do? I had the impression they were calm both of them."

"I don't know why… they are Slytherins perhaps? Moody gives detention with stupid reasons," Harry said.

"Has he given anyone to you?"

"Once. Padma then purposely messed up so she landed in the same detention as I. We cleaned the classroom."

"That was fun," Padma said absently. "Professor Moody looked like he had swallowed a lemon."

"One? Try ten," Harry muttered as Diablos chuckled. "Anyway, can you help us?"

"Tell me what it is, and I'll see what I can do."

-

When Harry caught Luna staring at him he said:

"Nothing about Dia, right?"

"No, it's nothing" she said absently. They were seated outside, despite it being late November. They sat on heated blankets and had a basket with food in the middle that Fred and George had gotten them from the kitchen. It was a little chilly Saturday morning; most students were hanging out in the common-rooms.

She stood up and walked around. It laid frost on the ground, but no snow had started to fall just yet.

"Luna, not again!"

Harry looked up from the book and saw Luna run around barefoot… again. She had a bad habit of taking off her shoes and run around no matter what weather.

"Luna!" Hermione got up, grabbed the shoes and chased after the blonde girl. Padma sighed, got up and ran after.

"That girl is special," Draco said. "And a bit crazy."

"But she's nice," Harry added. Coran nodded sleepily before diving back inside the teen's warm cloak. The cold weather was not a favourite of his. The teen heard absent hissing coming from the sleepy snake but made no comment.

"Yeah," Neville agreed.

"Yep!" the Weasley twins said.

"Then she's okay," the blonde said. "Oh. She conjured snow."

They all looked up to see Padma chase Luna around, enraged and full with snow. Hermione was laughing, Luna's shoes in one hand and the other one covering her mouth. Luna seemed oblivious to it all, waving her arms up and down as if she was going to fly at any moment.

-

"I'm not too sure I want to do this…"

"No problems, no problems!" Salerna said and dragged Diablos with him. "You'll love it!"

"I have no great love for flying, Salerna, why the hell should I enjoy flying on a hippogriff?!"

"It's a friendly one, from England. I heard it was in the care of Hogwarts' Magical Creatures professor, but after that one left and the new one was appointed they had to get rid of this one."

"Let me guess; it was violent?"

"Only towards the other professor, otherwise it's very kind," the white-haired man said. "Just remember the instructions."

"You're going to be the death of me…"

They came to the spot, Salerna dragging Diablos with him. They both had their afternoons free from class this gloomy Wednesday, and for the lack of something to do Salerna had dragged the man off to a magical animal kind of zoo. Cissi was in Rome at the hospital, checking up a bad cough she had (she forbade Salerna to come with her, he was such a worry-person) and Ginny was at school.

The girl had begun a small school near Florence, just a few hundred metres from where Salerna and Cissi lived and had adjusted well, having a lot of friends despite her not being from Italy. Her Italian was progressing fast and had been given the nickname 'Gin' by her friends and sometimes by Cissi and Salerna themselves.

"I don't think I want to do this," Diablos said as they closed into the place where the hippogriffs where kept.

"Oh yes you want to," Salerna said and turned around. "It's just a small tour around the place, they don't go very far."

"You really want me dead," the raven-haired man growled and stalked off. "Fine, if you want me dead, let me do it on my own!"

"That's called suicide, Diablos," Salerna said as he jogged up to him.

"Be quiet, before I make you commit suicide."

"How will you do that, lil' darlin'?"

"Watch me," Diablos growled and glared at him.

"Oh, are you here for the hippogriff from England?" a middle-age woman said. Salerna had contacted her earlier because the hippogriffs were a bit more popular than one would think. "He's a bit shy, and has a temper. His name is Buckbeak."

Diablos looked at the hippogriff and Salerna said:

"You first, Diablos?"

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Diablos moaned.

"Go on," Salerna said, pushing on the man a bit. "I'll wait here."

"I hate you."

Diablos walked forward to the hippogriff, bowed and looked it into the eyes. Buckbeak stared back at him. The red eyes did not move away from the animal, and suddenly the hippogriff gave out an odd sound, the wings flexing.

"I think you should back away, sir, he's never done that before," the woman said hurriedly, wand out to prevent Buckbeak from hurting the man.

Diablos did not move. The hippogriff started moving towards him, giving out that odd sound and when he was close enough, Buckbeak nuzzled his great head against Diablos'. The man strokes the feathers on the strong neck, closing his eyes and said quietly:

"Hello Buckbeak."

"Has he been that friendly to others before?" Salerna asked the caretaker, nodding his head to the animal.

"… No. He never lets them pet him."

Buckbeak nudged Diablos towards his wings, folding them and gently getting down to the ground. Diablos raised an eyebrow, swallowed and then sat down on the great back.

"Diablos, do you know what you're doing?" Salerna asked worriedly.

"Not exactly, so catch me if I fall please."

Buckbeak rose up and began running. After a little while he spread his wings and moved them up and down, soon lifting from the ground with Diablos on his back.

The man clenched his hands into the feathers, held on hard as he closed his eyes. It had been a long time since he flew. The wind was not too bad, and the air clear. Buckbeak flew more carefully than one would think, perhaps was it because he bore a passenger with him this time.

Salerna and the caretaker watched the hippogriff fly around, Salerna a bit nervous and also wondering. The hippogriff, the caretaker said, acted almost like saying hello to an old friend.

Diablos had never met Buckbeak… right?

The raven-haired man looked on as Buckbeak dove towards a lake, not frightened but instead enjoyed it. The animal flew lower and lower, almost touching the water and Diablos smiled a bit. He bent down, his head against the neck and said:

"Good to see you again."

Buckbeak would hear him, he knew that.

-

_Di__ablos closed the door to Harry's bedroom and walked downstairs to the small living-room. He leaned onto the doorframe and looked at James and Lily. The two looked up from a book and James said:_

"_Is the monster asleep?"_

"_Yes," the raven-haired man replied. "So I shall take my leave."_

"_We want to talk with you for a bit," Lily said. Before Harry was born, she had barely spoken to him. She was still awkward about it. _

_Diablos raised an eyebrow but walked inside, seating himself opposite of them._

"_What is it?" he asked as he sat somewhat hesitating on their couch._

"_What is it, not used to normal stuff?" Sirius Black asked from where he was standing._

"_Sirius!" Lily said._

"_Come on, he lives in a bloody manor with all these ancient things, of course he will feel uncomfortable here."_

_Diablos did not reply._

"_Too big to look at me?" Sirius asked._

"_Sirius, that's enough," James said. "We want to speak to Diablos in private, Sirius, and his mood ain't going to be better if you continue."_

_The man shrugged and said:_

"_I was going anyway."_

_They waited until Sirius closed the front door._

"_Unusually hostile tonight," Diablos said and tilted his head. "Do I look uncomfortable?"_

"_A bit," James said._

"_It's not because of your house," Diablos said. "It's quite lovely."_

"_Is it us?" the man asked._

"_Forgive me for saying this, but before Harry was born you two barely wanted to acknowledge I existed, and now suddenly you want me over all the time," Diablos said._

"_Harry really likes you," Lily said. _

"_That's the only reason? I'm a good baby-sitter? Then how come you barely let me be alone with him?"_

"_Diablos, don't start," James begged. _

"_Can't start on something I've never done," Diablos said. "Just pointing out facts."_

"_We are not going to argue," Lily said and rose up. "I'm going to make some tea for us. Milk and no sugar still, Diablos?"_

"… _Yes."_

_She left the living-room and the brothers were now left alone._

"_Diablos."_

"_Yes?"_

"_We are at war."_

"_I am well aware of that."_

"_We are under protection because of the Prophecy Albus told us."_

"_You still follow the headmaster blindly?"_

"_He's a good man, Diablos!"_

"_How come he hates my guts then?" the raven-haired man asked._

"_You probably didn't do something he didn't like," James said._

"_Aah, yes I know exactly what it was I did," Diablos said. "I was born. Such a trivial mistake; let me go and get a razor so I immediately can kill myself to make him happy."_

"_Diablos, don't joke about that."_

_Diablos smiled chillingly._

"_What is your point?" he asked._

"_If we were to die," James said, "me and Lily… we want you to take care of Harry."_

Diablos woke up with a start and sat up in the bed. His face was cold and a bit clammy, unusual for him. He got up from the bed, stumbled over to the windows and opened one of them. The cool night air met him and he closed his eyes, trying to block the memory out.

He had agreed after some reluctance. He had said no to tea and prepared to go home to Florence. James followed him to the door, Lily stayed in the living-room. His brother had surprised him by giving him a hug, and not the one he gave Sirius or Remus. It was the kind of hug Diablos had not been given by James for around fifteen years. Despite that James was a bit taller and physically stronger it was not hard to notice that Diablos was the older one.

For Diablos hugs were foreign when he was younger, before he took care of Harry. He rarely hugged people, and was rarely hugged in return. James' hugs though… were always something he missed.

And now he could never feel his brother's hugs ever again. He wrapped his arms around himself in a faint remembrance to be surrounded by warmth, and ignored the silent tears that rolled down his eyes.

He should have been able to save them. With what he knew, he should have been able to.

-

Voldemort looked into the room that served temporary as a sick-room. He saw Bellatrix's white face for a moment, lying close to her husband Rodolphus. Rabastan was not far away. The three Lestranges had spent their worst years together; no need to separate them now. They drew comfort from one another.

Despite his best efforts, Voldemort had not managed to get the Death Eaters in Azkaban out until just recently. Some were half-insane. He did not know how the Lestranges were as they had not woken up yet. Their vital signs were good, although they had lost weight and Bellatrix's face was more alike a skull.

He closed the door gently and walked down the hall. With Severus' potions they would be better in no time. But what he really needed was a healer. He had yet to find one that would stay on their side.

He tapped his chin and that was how Lucius found him a while later.

"My lord?"

"Do you know any good healer?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Healer?"

"Yes, for our dear friends in the sick-room. Severus' potions do wonder but it's not enough. I want them all to be examined by a healer."

The blonde looked at him and said:

"I'll talk to one I know. He might be able to help."

"Who is this healer?"

"Please, I have no wish to be on his bad side," Lucius said. "Let me speak to him before I mention any names."

-

Diablos looked up once Lucius had finished speaking and said:

"When?"

"Well, as soon as you can," the blonde said and shifted on the chair. "Unless you are very busy."

"No, the teaching always slows down around Christmas," the raven-haired man said and made a mark on a paper he was grading. "I barely have anything to do right now, so I'll come with you once I've finished this paper."

"That soon?" the blonde asked.

"Is it too soon?"

"No, I'm very grateful. But I still wish to know… you help me, you help the lord. The lord killed your brother and sister-in-law, Harry's parents. The Death Eaters you are going to help have tortured people. Bellatrix, her husband and brother-in-law tortured Neville Longbottom's parents to insanity. Why are you helping us?"

"It's either you or Dumbledore," Diablos said as he put the essay down. He was done. "It may sound like an easy choice to pick Dumbledore, but I wouldn't do it even if it was life and death."

"If being with Dumbledore meant Harry would be safe, would you have done it then?"

"You are not safe with Dumbledore," Diablos said and rose up with a chilly smile. "All you get from him is pain so he can be famous."

-

Voldemort looked up from Rabastan's face as the doors to the sick-room opened. Severus, who had managed to sneak off from Hogwarts for a little while, looked up from the gathering of the potions he had just gotten up from his pockets. It was a Saturday so that was okay; he had just told the headmaster he would be in his manor and would like to be alone. Dumbledore had allowed that and the potions master had Apparated directly here.

Lucius nodded to them both and showed Diablos in. He looked around the room and said:

"So you managed to break into Azkaban. I'm guessing the Ministry is keeping it down?"

"Yes," the Dark Lord said. "Lucius, you were going to speak to a healer."

"I did," the blonde replied. "Diablos is one."

The raven-haired man walked up to Bellatrix and placed a hand over her chest, and a glowing light surrounded her at the same time Diablos' hair lifted from his back and shoulders. The three men backed away in surprise before staring at him. His eyes were closed.

"One of her lungs is badly injured," he said to all of them. "Anything you've done to help her?"

"We have no healers, and I haven't worked up the courage to ask Poppy," Severus said. "I gave her a potion that will keep her calm, otherwise can't do much."

Diablos' eyes opened, and the eyes were bright red. All traces of blue had vanished, and they all saw faint slick red flames coming out of his eyes.

"Then I guess I'll fix it myself," he said and placed the other hand over her. "Her leg has a healed break."

"Yes, I know," Severus said.

"We need to break the leg again and let it heal straight, otherwise she'll have a bad limp," Diablos said. "But wait until her lungs are alright, wouldn't want to cause her more stress than necessary."

He splayed out his fingers and the glowing was replaced by a reddish light coming from his palms.

"I've never seen a healer do the healing without a wand," Voldemort said to the two men.

"I've seen it, but it's not as common," Lucius said. "It's harder to control but it heals faster. Diablos has a very good control of his magic, so he's fairly good in this."

Suddenly Bellatrix coughed and took a deep breath, different from the last few hours of gasping breaths. She continued to breathe deeply but did not wake up.

"I'm inducing healing sleep on her so we can fix the leg," Diablos said and looked up at Severus. "I know Poppy has taught you a few things about healing, Severus, since you do most of the potions she has. Help me."

The potions master walked up him and said:

"What should I do?"

"Give her this," Diablos said and got out a bottle from one of his pockets. "I see you didn't have any here with you, so I'm glad I brought it."

"I never thought this one was needed," Severus said as he read the label. "Restraints. I haven't done this potion many times."

"Me neither; I got that from a friend," Diablos said. "I'm not very good at doing that one. Give her four drops."

"Four; is that enough?" Lucius asked as he and Voldemort came forward.

"Five drops and we'll paralyse her for a week," Diablos said. "Wouldn't want that, would we?"

He took a hold of her left leg and waited until Severus had gotten the four drops in her. Her body tensed and then relaxed.

"Four drops will hold her for fifteen minutes," Severus said. "It's a big difference between four and five drops."

"Yes, a ridiculous one," Diablos said, tightened his hold and searched for the imperfect healing of the leg. Finding it, he continued, "This will not sound pretty."

His hand closed around the area, he pushed his magic inside her leg and skilfully broke it. Although the body tensed on the cot, Bellatrix did not move. The three men winced when they heard the bone break.

"I do not enjoy that sound very much," Lucius said.

"I've heard it too many times," the raven-haired man said. "I don't notice it anymore."

He healed the bone again, this time right and after ten minutes stepped back.

"She's fine physically," he said. "Mentally I can't tell, because I'm not educated in that area. How long was she in Azkaban?"

"Around 10-12 years," Voldemort said. Diablos nodded and said:

"Can't say for sure her mind will be intact. How are those two?"

He pointed at the Lestrange brothers.

"Rabastan, him there," Severus said and pointed, "is fine physically. Rodolphus is the major problem. I've given him a potion that allows him to function without his organs beside the lungs and heart that is. His body is giving up."

Diablos walked up to Rodolphus and traced a hand over the prone body, not quite touching.

"Liver, kidneys, stomach and part of the intestines," he said. "Quite a number that. Haven't seen it quite this damaged before. The cause, does anyone know?"

"The guards liked to be cruel I heard," Lucius sneered.

"No sexual assault? I'm asking because it plays a major part if he's still sane or not."

"If he had been?" Voldemort asked.

"Then maybe is more merciful to just let him fall asleep and never wake up," Diablos said. "Answer my question."

"No sexual assault. I don't think they dared," Severus said. "Bellatrix and Rabastan did a good job at scaring them away from that kind of activity when Rodolphus was too weak to do it himself."

"Weakness in body?"

"Yes. You can't do very much when you've had a knife in your gut."

"I've had it but that's perhaps beside the point," Diablos said and looked the man over again.

"No, it's because you are you," Lucius said.

"What are you doing?"

Severus, Lucius and Voldemort turned around in surprise. Bellatrix sat up slowly, her eyes clear and her voice steady when she continued:

"Who is that man?"

Diablos turned around and looked at her. Her eyes widened at seeing him and she said:

"Who are you?"

"Diablos Potter," he said smoothly. "I see you're doing much better already, Mrs Lestrange. Quick recovery has always been your motto?"

"A Potter!" she shrieked. "My lord, why is a Potter here?!"

"He's not… friendly with Dumbledore," Voldemort said. "He just healed you and saved you from limping for the rest of your life."

She stared first at the Dark Lord, then at Diablos who had turned back to Rodolphus. He got off his robe and put it aside.

"This takes a bit more work than on Mrs Lestrange," he said and rolled up his sleeves to the shirt he was wearing, showing his pale arms. "I'm afraid I will look quite scary during this."

"How so?" the Dark Lord asked.

"The kind of healing I possess," the raven-haired man said and looked at Voldemort with a small smile, "is not exactly what one would call light."

The four watched him as he readied himself. He placed on hand around the area where Rodolphus's knees were and the other above the man's face.

"If you hurt him," Bellatrix suddenly said, "I'll kill you."

"I have no doubt you will try," Diablos said and looked at her. "But no matter how many people who have tried to kill me, Dumbledore included, I still walk this earth."

He made a sign with both of his hands and his eyes widened. Light burst out from his palms, formed two signs and then seeped into the prone body. Rodolphus' lips pulled back and his jaws clenched.

Suddenly marking appeared on his arms and his hair moved once more.

"I know what it is," Bellatrix whispered. "I've seen it before."

"What is it?" Voldemort asked.

"Is he adopted into the Potter family?" Bellatrix said.

"Yes, he is," Lucius said. "Why?"

"Only dark people can use this healing magic," she said. "Only those who are truly dark. I dare say darker than yourself, my lord. Definitely darker than my family, and Lucius' family."

"Who did you see do this?" the Dark Lord demanded to know.

"My father let me see," she said as she painfully got up from the bed. Severus supported her with a hand on her elbow. Her eyes never left Diablos. "He said the healer was the darkest creature alive."

"What kind of creature?" Lucius asked, eyes wide.

"He never said it," Bellatrix said. "He just gave me a clue. He said the darkest creatures walking this earth are the children of Mother Nature."

Diablos suddenly directed his palms to Rodolphus' chest and the man opened his eyes.

"Rodolphus," Bellatrix said and walked forward.

"Bella…" he managed to whisper.

"Save your strength," Diablos said and looked at the man. "Don't make it harder than it already is."

They waited for twenty minutes until finally Diablos stepped away. He took a deep breath and said:

"They are healed, but I suggest for him to stay in bed for a few more days. He's sore."

"Are you feeling alright?" Lucius asked.

"I do hope he was the worst injured," Diablos said, "because this healing takes a lot out of you."

"We have a few ones with bruises and cuts but nothing major," Severus said. "If you just could take a look at them."

The raven-haired man nodded and pushed himself away from the wall he had been leaning against. He checked the others, speaking to Severus quietly and the potions master nodding once in a while.

"Who was that?" Rodolphus asked.

"An ally," Voldemort said. "Not someone who I control, but someone I respect. He seems to prove himself more and more for each time I see him."

"I heard no one has really seen his true powers," Lucius said. "That he himself doesn't even know what his limit is."

-

Diablos sat down on the couch and took a deep breath. He felt a bit dizzy.

"Haven't used that magic in a while," he said and clenched one of his hands.

"She knew a lot more than I thought."

The new voice was bodiless, silken soft but deadly.

"Well, she was a Black," Diablos said. "They should be a bit smart."

"Seeing their faces, she's never said it before. How come?" the voice asked.

"How should I know?" Diablos asked as he slipped the necklace off.

"How cruel of you, Diablos. I rather liked it there," the voice complained.

Diablos held the necklace up. It was glowing softly.

"You can't get too attached to me," the raven-haired man said.

"You're right. So, when are you going to tell Harry?"

"At Christmas," Diablos said.

"It's not a long time until then."

"Please don't remind me."

The voice laughed cruelly and Diablos suddenly squeezed it.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!"

He released it.

"Man, you are aggressive when you're pissed off," the voice from the necklace whined. "Be kind."

"Why?" Diablos said.

"If you hadn't wanted me back to life, you wouldn't have gone through all that trouble to retrieve me from hell, Diabolus."

"It's Diablos."

"I know but from the beginning it was Diabolus. The true form of the word."

Diablos squeezed again before dropping it onto the table.

"Ouch! That hurt you prick!"

"And what will you do about it?" Diablos asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Oh thank you, Dora."

The house-elf had appeared out of nowhere and now served the man some tea and sandwiches. She looked at the necklace and with purpose dropped the tray on it.

"Ooow! Diablos, your damn house-elf loves to hurt me!"

She lifted the tray and looked at it. For a moment, a red eye glared back at her, and she promptly dumped the tray again.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! Tell her to stop!"

"No, why?" the man asked. "It looks a bit fun."

"Happy to be at service, master," Dora said and made sure to grind the tray a bit more before placing the plate with sandwiches down and lifting the tray. She popped back into the kitchen.

"Your house-elf has gotten your bad personality," the necklace muttered.

"Aah, suck it up," Diablos said and sipped his tea. "She isn't half as bad as me, you got admit that."

Quiet.

"Fuck, you're right. You would have smashed the tray on me a few times the hardest you could."

"Well, happy to know you know me."

"… Fuck you."

"Yeah, yeah, love you too Tommie boy."

"What?! I hate it when you call me that, brat! My. Name. Is. Not. Tommie. Boy."

"Tom boy then?"

"Gah, I hate you so fucking much!"

-

Harry sat on his bed in deep thought. He was supposed to pack, the holidays started tomorrow but he could not bring himself to do it. He had come to a frightening conclusion during the last few weeks.

He had not shared it with anyone, because he had to make sure first. In his heart he knew it was probably true. He was not sure how he felt about it.

He looked down on the photo in his lap. He stroke with his thumb his uncle's face, looking at it long and hard. It was one of the few Muggle photos Diablos had, and the teen felt slightly guilty to have taken it without the man saying it was okay. It was Diablos, Harry himself and two unknown people. Harry could not be more than four years old. Should he remember those two people?

He knew he did not. He looked closely at the woman's face. She looked attractive enough, but seemed not to be in a relationship with his uncle. Hell, he had never seen Diablos with a woman that way. The man seemed not to have had any lovers at all during his life. Harry wondered how that felt.

Lonely perhaps. Go to sleep, day after day alone, without the comfort of someone else sleeping next to you. Maybe it had been because Harry lived with Diablos that the man had not taken anyone home. Diablos had laughed when Harry had asked years and years ago, telling the teen he did not need a lover. He had the family he wanted. He had Harry.

The teen shook his head and focused on the woman again. Alright, not a lover but who? A friend? Diablos had a lot of friends, and Harry did not know half of them. Must be a friend. She was holding Harry and that was strange as well. Closer than normal friends perhaps? Diablos did not just let anyone who wanted hold Harry when the teen was younger.

Since it was a black-white photo he did not know her colours, but her hair was probably dark and her eyes somewhat light. Her hair was slightly curly and trickled down her shoulders and to around her breasts. She was wearing a tight dress with a lot of laces, a pouch a bit on her side. He could not tell what kind of pouch it was.

On her other side, on one side was Diablos, was a tall man with either light or white long hair. It was shining a bit, silvery white or silvery blonde. Maybe a bit like Draco's and Lucius'? Harry could not tell what kind of eyes the man had, if they were dark or light.

He was thin but looked strong. Not a guy you messed around with. He wore a white robe probably; the teen could not see what he was wearing underneath.

Diablos looked like usual, his hair a bit messy and the eyes glowing even when not in colour. He wore a normal black robe; the only strange about it was that it had silver lining. Or Harry felt like it was silver lining.

He rose up and walked out of the room. He found Draco in the Slytherin common room and sat down.

"What is it?" the blonde asked him, looking up from his book. "I swear to you, if you haven't started packing then I'll…"

"Look at this," the teen said and gave him the photo. Draco put away the book and took the photo. "Tell me what you see."

"I see you and Diablos… with two of Diablos' friends I can imagine. The man looks a bit sick, you know, eyes sunken into his skull and prodding cheek bones," Draco said. "Woman looks like a fighter, her arms are lean but you can see the muscles. And she's a potions mistress."

"What? How do you know?"

"Some potions mistresses wear dresses like hers," Draco said and pointed. "See? No room for pockets on that thing. They instead wear this pouch, specially designed for wearing in battle if you fight with potions or poisons. But she's definitely a potions mistress because I've never seen someone who doesn't work with potions have one. Sev has one."

"He has?"

"Yeah, but since he normally has his big-ass and heavy robes, he doesn't need the pouch. I've seen him wear it once or twice," Draco said. "They're really good."

"So she's a fighter? The man?"

"Looks… not like a fighter, more like a former fighter. Still strong but perhaps too sick to continue. Or he fools people to think he's not a fighter with this posture and face. Probably a Slytherin. Do you remember them?"

"That's the problem," the teen said. "I don't."

"Ask your uncle then," Draco said.

"He doesn't know I took the photo," Harry hissed.

"So it's his?"

"Yeah, it was in a book," the teen said with a shrug. "I just… kinda took it with me."

"He won't be angry that you're curious," the blonde said. "I've never seen him really angry at you."

Harry looked down. If he was wrong about all this, then maybe Diablos really would get angry…

-

Diablos looked around the platform where he was standing next to Sirius. The man looked for his nephew in the crowds and said:

"I heard you helped my dear cousin and her husband."

"… I did. Where did you hear it from?"

"Doesn't matter. Was she alright?"

"She will be," the man said.

"And Rodolphus?"

"Still in bed, recovering I hope, otherwise I shall take a trick or two from Poppy to make him stay there," Diablos said.

"Ouch," Sirius winced. "That's pure evil, Diablos."

"Haven't you learned I am evil?" the man asked. "You're not even upset about all this?"

"I really should be," the Black answered and looked at Diablos. "I should hate your guts for helping Voldemort. He killed James and Lily. Yes, he was tricked but he still killed them."

"I know," Diablos said.

"But I understand how you're thinking," Sirius said. "What's done is done. Either we move on, however hard that may be, or we are stuck in the circle of evil."

"Correct."

"You're still sad about James," Sirius said and looked at the man. "Aren't you? I mean you got Harry, the kid loves you but you probably had preferred to have James and Lily alive."

"Don't we all?" Diablos said. "Lily didn't like me very much, but she accepted me. That's more than some people do."

Harry suddenly stood before them.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"James and Lily," Diablos said. "Old memories. How are you?"

"Fine," he said and freed Coran from his pocket to let the snake curl up around his neck. "You both look a bit under the weather."

"I feel fine," Diablos said. "How about you, Sirius?"

"Damn colds are gonna be the end of me," Sirius muttered. "You look a bit pale yourself, Harry. Sure you're fine?"

"Yeah, just a bit cold. Not used to the weather," Harry said. He stepped forward and hugged Diablos. His hands clenched in the man's hair. "Where is Lucius?"

"He should be coming any moment. What about Draco?"

"There he is," Sirius said and waved. Draco caught the man's wave and got a hold of Hermione and Padma, dragging both of them with him to them.

"Fred and George are meeting up with Bill in Hogsmeade," Draco explained. "They didn't ride with us on the train, but said they were going to Florence tomorrow."

"Yes, I invited them," Diablos said. "What about Neville?"

"His grandmother was a bit rushed. They had called from St Mungo's, where Neville's parents are, and said they had… what did they say, Harry?"

"They had gotten a package with a new mind-healing potion," Harry said and looked up at Diablos. "Do they exist? We couldn't exactly asked Severus as Neville got her message during the train-ride."

"Yes, they exist but never to the extent to heal Neville's parents," Diablos said. "I see a kind person has made some progress."

"Do you happen to know this kind person?" Hermione asked the raven-haired man.

"I know a few potions masters and potions mistresses, it can be anyone of them or someone else," Diablos said. He knew exactly who it was but decided not to say anything. "Many want to make a successful mind-healing potion as there are a lot of people like Frank and Alice Longbottom in this world."

-

Diablos looked a bit surprised as he entered Potter manor that Voldemort was standing in the hall and inspecting a painting.

"Did Dora let you in?" he asked. Harry looked at the Dark Lord oddly while Sirius said nothing. The Malfoys was a bit surprised, as they had not expected it. Remus kept a hand on Sirius' arm just in case. Hermione's parents did not know who it was, but Hermione grabbed Harry's and Draco's arms.

"Yes, she was very kind and did so. I hope you don't mind I brought Bellatrix, Rabastan and Rodolphus with me."

"Two of which should be in bed," Diablos said and stepped up. The others followed hesitantly.

"That's why I placed them in the living room," Voldemort said. "The couches there appear to be very comfortable."

"I'm sure they are but may I ask why you are here?"

"Social visit? Plus I was sick of England and the boring weather there," Voldemort said. "If you wish to throw me out, I can't very well whine my way out of it."

"I would like to see you whine," the raven-haired man scoffed. "No, I won't throw you out unless the children, Remus or Sirius are uncomfortable with it."

He looked at them all and continued:

"If you don't want him here, tell me so."

"Just as long as he behaves," Harry said with a shrug. Voldemort's eyebrow rose. "What? When I said behave, I meant you didn't kill or tortured one of us."

"Ah," the dark wizard said. "I can assure you I will not."

"I'm fine with it, but don't expect me to be talkative," Sirius said.

"I didn't think so," Voldemort said. "Shall we?" He gestured to the living room.

-

Harry fidgeted where he sat and looked over at Diablos. He wanted to ask, right now. But could he? With all these people?

"Harry?"

Diablos looked at him worriedly and the teen blurted out:

"I need to ask you something."

"Of course," the man said. "What is it?"

"You told me before I left for Hogwarts to give you time for whatever you were hiding," Harry said.

"Yes, I did," Diablos said and looked around the room. "Do you wish me to tell everyone here, to make it easier?"

"No… yes, I don't know," Harry said. "It's just… I've noticed some things. Some things you probably didn't mean to say."

"What did he say to you?" Sirius asked.

"Not to me," Harry said. "Nothing bad either. Just stuff… that tipped me off. That told me… you knew more than you told."

Diablos' heart clenched.

"Did I?" he asked.

"Things like… you knew Luna," Harry said. "You've only met her once, yet you know her. You know stuff about Hermione and Draco I never told you. You understand things quicker than you should, work problems out that you shouldn't even know. You knew Ginny controlled the Basilisk, knew it was Voldemort behind it far before any of it was known. Hell, probably before any of it started!"

Diablos sat still as Harry flew up. The others sat frozen. Hermione's parents had gone to bed early but the girl was still up and listened on the conversation with the wheels in her brain turning faster, making her eyes widen. The teen bit his lip and continued:

"You knew about Fluffy. The stone, what it would do. You knew all this before anyone else. You had never seen Fluffy, didn't know his name yet… you knew his weakness. I saw the notes, but never said anything. I thought at first it was coincidence. I know now it isn't."

Diablos said nothing. His voice would probably break if he tried. Harry stepped up, barely aware of the others.

"Only a Seer would know. You aren't a Seer. It means you've lived through it all once before."

Diablos' eyes closed and Harry finally asked what he had been suspecting for months:

"You're me, aren't you Dia?"

Tbc…

* * *

Was I evil to stop there? Perhaps, but I planned it long ago! Haha, I'm sooooooo evil! -high on sugar-

And to my great shock, I realized the next chapter is the last or second to last! How can that be??

But luckily I got my sequel to hang onto after this.

Chapter 28: What will Diablos answer Harry? If it's one chapter, then the rest of the year as well. But I think I will break it up in two chapters, as otherwise it will take such a long time.

Look forward to it!

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	29. Chapter 28

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

Hehe, I am soooooooo evil -sugar rush again-

I thank you all for the reviews, and most of you agreed I'm evil! Yaaaaaaay!

But here the chapter is, and I updated much sooner than usual! Enjoooooy!

-

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

Here comes the classic '_you could hear a pin drop'_. Diablos could not help but agree miserably. He could hear the others gasp of shock but he sat quiet. He opened his eyes and looked at Harry.

"It… depends how you look on it," the man said finally, sitting still. He was not going to fidget like a five-year old who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Nope, never.

"How should I look at it?" Harry said softly. "You are me."

"No, I have never been you," Diablos said. "You have always been you. But yes, in a different place I was born as Harry James Potter. I have never called myself Harry though and you have never been me."

"How do you know? You were born as me."

"You aren't a monster," the raven-haired man and clasped his hands together. _No fidgeting._ "You are Harry. I am… someone born with the name Harry but never used it. I didn't know my name was Harry."

"Back up!" Sirius suddenly said and got up. "You're telling me you're a bloody time-traveller?!"

"… Yes. I am a time-traveller," Diablos said and looked at them all.

"Then why… why the hell didn't you save James and Lily?!" the man shouted. "You've always said you wanted them alive! Did you lie straight in my face?! They were your parents, weren't they?!"

"No," the raven-haired man said, shutting Sirius up. "Not once have I thought James and Lily as my parents. They were strangers to me… in the other universe or whatever you call it. And I tried to save them. I clearly hadn't checked the Ministry's stupid rules close enough."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked as Remus released him. He stood still on the floor, looking ready to tear something apart. The werewolf stayed close in case he had to restrain the man.

"I got stuck with useless paperwork," Diablos said. "I told them it was an emergency, that's why they let me go after an hour only. I was a half-hour late."

His voice broke and he looked down. Harry felt numb, but not angry. Should he be?

"Dia… why did you go back in time?" he asked calmly.

"Because everything was gone," Diablos said and looked up at the teen. "Everything that I guess I held dear was gone, dead… all because of Dumbledore."

"What do you mean?" Remus said.

"He killed everyone," Diablos said, tearing his hands through his hair. "Murdered Sirius and Remus for nothing, killing Voldemort, all the Death Eaters… one by one he killed us."

His eyes had gained an empty look and he pressed on as if in trance:

"We would never make it. Our only option was to go back in time. I opposed it at first, it was too dangerous. My friends convinced me."

"What friends?" Sirius asked.

"Their names is Arsenic and Odium", Diablos said.

"What?" Harry said. "There isn't anyone who would name their children that?"

"Think someone named me Diablos?" the man asked. "No, we gave ourselves a name."

"Why Diablos?" Harry asked as he finally sat down in front of his uncle on the floor. It was his uncle still, he felt that.

"Because that's what I am, Harry. A devil," Diablos said. "First time I knew my real name was Harry I was eleven. I had used Diablos for three years then. I named myself when I was eight."

"When you were eleven?" Hermione managed. "Why then?"

"They called my name up at the sorting in Hogwarts," Diablos said and looked at her. "That was the first time I heard the name I had been given. Talk about surprising them when I ended up in Ravenclaw and not Gryffindor as Dumbledore had planned."

"Planned?"

"Everything he does is making plans," Diablos said to Harry. "Everything he looks on is plans. Severus was a plan, I was a plan, James and Lily was a plan… hell, even Voldemort was a plan."

"Me?" Voldemort choked out.

"Yeah," Diablos said and looked at the man. "Didn't he oppose you already in school? He had a plan to make you evil, so he could defeat you and become known as the man who defeated two Dark Lords! Think the glory he would receive! He would be remembered forever!"

It was one of the few times Harry had heard Diablos scream and he winced at the sound. Diablos flew up and walked to the bookshelves. He closed his eyes and continued:

"I was the plan to make him look kind. I, the poor Boy-Who-Lived under the great Albus Dumbledore's wings. His eyes when I said I didn't want to… that's almost the only thing that freaked me out back then."

Everyone was quiet. Diablos smiled, it looked crazy and said:

"He wanted me dead then. The moment I said no, he started planning on killing me. He killed my mind."

"Your mind?" Remus said.

"He murdered you," Diablos said and looked at him and Sirius. "The only adults that ever cared about me. He even let me know it was him who did it, to show off his arrogance. He did a mistake then."

"Why?" Harry said. He felt like crying for Diablos' sake. His magic sang with grief when he was forcibly reminded of the past he had buried for the sake of a new future.

"If he thought that would make me scared, or make me obey he was wrong," the raven-haired man said. "I snapped instead. I threw away everything that had to do with the light. I joined Voldemort when I was fifteen."

"You had to prove yourself to me if you were that young," Voldemort said. "That's how I do it anyway."

"Yeah, I know, you were like that in my time too," Diablos said. "Your… other self was freaked out when three fifteen-year olds came covered in blood to him and offered to help him kill Dumbledore."

"Covered in blood?" the Dark Lord asked slowly.

"I killed the Dursleys, the people I lived with," Diablos said wearily. "I killed them without the aid of magic. Hence the blood. I accidently sprayed down Arsenic and Odium as well, but they said I wasn't sane at that moment. I guess I wasn't."

"Why not?" Lucius said.

"I don't remember killing them," Diablos said. "Just remembered that Odium dragged me out of the house that was burning and then we were at Voldemort."

He turned around again, his back against them and gripping the bookshelf. He tried to block the memories out but they were quickly overpowering him. If he let them loose now, everyone would drown in them, see how he had gotten here, why and his life. He did not want them to see.

A touch on his arm and he looked into Harry's eyes.

"Show us," the teen said. "Show us your life so we can understand!"

What happened next shocked all of them. A great light exploded from Diablos and it all got dark.

-

At first it was still dark but they could hear breathing. Harry was glad he had left Coran in his room, because the snake would probably not enjoy this a great deal.

"Where the hell are we?" Voldemort asked.

"Wait, I can hear noise from outside," Hermione said. "Sounds like someone is arguing."

They all listened.

"They sent that thing home with a note that it had made a good job!" A shrill woman's voice.

"We told it to be worse than our Dudley!" A bellowing man's voice.

"Wait a minute…" Harry said. "Dudley is my cousin! That means… we're at the Dursleys!"

They could see better now. They were in a cupboard. Or at least, they could see one. If they all had been crammed into a cupboard, they would probably not have thought of it as one. As it was now they saw the cupboard.

"We must be in Diablos' memories!" Hermione suddenly said. "Harry told him to show up! Maybe he did!"

"They're talking about Dia," Harry suddenly said.

"Come on, they said 'that thing' and 'it'," Lucius said. "They wouldn't say that to a boy… right?"

"Well, they called me freak," Harry said. They heard breathing again and turned around. Their eyes widened.

Big emerald eyes stared at the doors, towards the voices, skinny arms wounded around knobbly knees and lips quivering.

"Dia?" Harry whispered.

The voices rose and the boy put his thin hands over his ears, whimpering and shaking. He tried to melt into the wall it looked like when the door banged open.

The boy was pale, and he had a bloody lip. Harry stared. It was his uncle, he knew that. His uncle had lived at the Dursleys, and he had been abused.

"Come here, you freak!" A meaty hand stretched in, belonging to a fat man and Vernon Dursley dragged the now screaming Diablos out. They all got out so they could see what happened.

The small boy was pushed into the wall, his small hands grabbing onto the meaty hand closing around his throat.

"You will never do that again, you hear me you freak?! You hear me?!" He shook the boy, making the head bang into the wall.

"Yes," Diablos whimpered and was released. He curled up as Vernon made his way to what they presumed was the kitchen. Once the man was gone, the boy dove back to the cupboard and slammed it shut, but they could still hear the sobs from outside.

The scene changed abruptly.

"You're the devil!" Petunia's voice cut through the air, a slap following. "I don't want to see you, be sure to keep yourself in the cupboard when I get back!"

She almost ran out of the kitchen and out the house. Slowly Diablos walked into view, older than before. His eyes were dead, a string of blood rolling from his nose. He wiped it away and turned to look at the cupboard. A small shiver went through his body.

"I'm gonna kill that bitch." His voice was hard, too old for his young age. His eyes were crazy.

The colours whirled before them and suddenly they were in the school library.

"Looks to be around our time," Hermione said. "Hang on… that's me?"

They all turned and blinked. Hermione in the memories loaded books on a table, Diablos looking at her with disinterest.

"What are you doing?" he finally asked.

"I'm going to find a spell that will kill that blasted Ronald Weasley," she sneered.

"It's called Avada Kedavra," he said helpfully. They could not be older than eleven or twelve years old.

"I mean painfully, Diablos," she said and looked at him. "I don't want to give him a merciful death."

Diablos raised an eyebrow.

"Knock yourself out," he said and then turned. "Hi, Draco."

Memory-Draco walked past them, threw his schoolbag on the table and said:

"I'm looking forward to the day when Dumbledore is dead."

"The walls have ears," Diablos advised.

"What can he do? Kill me? I would like to see him try it," the blonde said with a similar sneer to Hermione's as he sat down. "What are you looking for, Granger?"

"For the thousandth time, it's Hermione," she said. "I'm going to kill Weasley."

"Which one of them?" Draco asked.

"The youngest one."

"Aha, the weasel. Well, the world won't miss him much, maybe his stupid cow to mother. Someone you would like to kill, Diablos?"

They did not call him Harry. That meant they were his friends. Harry walked closer, as if not to miss Diablos' response.

Slowly the raven-haired boy looked up at Draco, blinked owlishly and then said:

"_Someone_, Malfoy? How about the entire _world_?"

Harry closed his eyes as the colours shifted against; it was nauseous to look at. Hermione's and Draco's hands gripped his arms tightly. He did not want them to let go.

"What are you guys doing?"

The room cleared as the voice spoke and Diablos, looking about their age looked at memory-Hermione and memory-Draco in turn.

"You got your name that we use," Hermione said. "Diablos."

"It's my real name," Diablos said with a shrug. "I don't give a shit I'm the supposed great Boy-Who-fucking-Lived Harry James Potter, ain't going to help anyone."

"Yeah, we know that," Draco said. "But you need friends for that."

"And?"

"Hello, Diablos," the girl said and stretched out a hand. "My name is Arsenic."

Hermione's hand tightened around Harry's arm, her eyes wide.

"And I'm Odium," Draco said with a nod. Diablos looked at them both for a long time, then gave up a smirk and said:

"Now we truly are the Demon siblings."

-

It took a little while longer for the scene to come together and once it did Harry wished it had not.

It was the kitchen at the Dursleys, from which they had only caught glimpses on in the beginning between memories. Now it was painted in red.

Diablos raised the kitchen-knife; it was slick with blood and plunged it into Petunia's chest. Arsenic and Odium, for now they looked nothing like Hermione and Draco, was covered in blood as well and Odium grabbed onto Diablos when he dragged the knife out. The woman had probably died a while ago.

"Yes, this is all very lovely but Order members are closing in!" he hissed. "Drop the knife, Diablos! Drop it!" Diablos' eyes were far gone, lost in insanity but he obeyed.

Arsenic kicked aside the corpse of Petunia, one of her hands holding up the robes from the bloodied floor and with a blast of her wand set the kitchen on fire. Odium dragged Diablos up, holding him up as he did not walk on his own and then they were out.

Harry stared at the spot even as the colours swirled around, transfixed. How old was Diablos now again? Fifteen. Fifteen years old and he had killed a family in cold blood. Harry knew he should feel ill of what Diablos had done, but felt nothing of that sort.

Once it cleared they were in…

"We're at home," Draco said.

"Yes, but home appear to have fallen a bit," Lucius pointed out.

It was the great hall of the Malfoy manor. Although now it was dark and dusty. The paintings had been ripped away, bits of material lay on the cold floor and they could see spots of dried blood on the stone that made up the floor.

"Looks like there was a battle inside our home," Narcissa said and took Lucius' arm lightly.

The great doors suddenly banged open, and Arsenic and Odium came in dragging on a body. The head tipped back and Harry felt Hermione's nails dig into his skin as his own eyes widened and his mouth went slack in shock and horror.

Diablos' eyes were open, lifeless, and out from his mouth it poured blood.

"Close the doors!" Arsenic yelled at Odium. "Seal them shut and then help me!"

Odium ran to the doors as she gently put down Diablos' head on the floor.

"His chest is open," Hermione whispered.

"What?!" Sirius managed.

"Something… has ripped open his chest," Harry choked out.

They all stared in shock as Arsenic dug her hand into her friend's body. Odium came running back after sealing the doors, slid to a stop and fell to his knees next to the still body of his friend.

"His stomach is bleeding," Arsenic said, feeling around with her hand, her head turned away so she did not have to watch. "One kidney gone, we must have lost it when we stuffed the other things back inside… his heart… still pumping but it's getting weaker… the blood coming out from his mouth is light and a bit foamy, some of it comes from his lungs then… Odium, you have to find me potions, I got nothing left!"

The silvery blonde teen got up and raced to a nearby cabinet as the watchers could not believe what they were seeing. Diablos was dying? How was that possible??

"We keep potions in there," Lucius supplied as the teen tore the cabinet open. "What is he doing?!"

Odium threw the potions he deemed unnecessary over his shoulder, some bottles breaking.

"Mother and father never kept any healing potions in store!" Odium yelled frantically. "They always let Severus handle it!"

"Well, now all three of them are dead so find something!" Arsenic yelled. "Diablos, wake up! Don't you dare die on me!"

Diablos convulsed, blood bubbling up his throat and tears began to run down Arsenic's eyes.

"I'm losing him!" she sobbed. "Odium!"

"I know father has a potion that will give life even to the dead!" Odium shouted back.

"What kind is it?" she called out, one hand still buried deep into Diablos' chest, her arm slick with blood and the floor underneath the raven-haired teen covered in it.

"A potion with the mixture of a strong creature," Odium said. "Father never knew what kind of creature, just that they were called 'Children of Mother Nature'. He never used it, didn't dare to!"

"Whatever it is, find it! He's dying!"

Diablos convulsed one last time, then came one last shuddering breath… then it was quiet.

"Diablos!" Arsenic cried out. "Diablos, come on don't die! Diablos, wake up! Diablos!"

Odium grabbed a bottle and ran back. It was too late, right? Or… the potion could even bring a dead person back to life. Harry felt his chest constrict and did his best to not start crying as he watched his dead uncle lying on the Malfoy Manor floor, a floor he often had walked on when visiting Draco. To think their home had been witness to such a horrible scene.

"Tip his head back," Odium instructed. "He just needs to get the potion in him, then it should do the work."

Arsenic complied, pulling her hand out of her friend's chest and lifted his head up gently. She tipped it back a bit and Odium poured the blackish liquid into Diablos' mouth, holding a hand to the teen's throat and with his magic made Diablos' dead body swallow.

"And now?" she asked and looked up at Odium. Harry sank down on the floor a bit away, Hermione and Draco following. Sirius was busy trying not to throw up, and Remus had closed his eyes. Bellatrix and Rabastan held onto Rodolphus who was more than wobbly; he was not a fan of seeing a girl dig around in her friend's open chest to check if he had lost any organs. Lucius and Narcissa both stood frozen, Voldemort next to them.

"Now… we wait," Odium said. "Can't do much else."

Arsenic looked down on her hands; they were shaking badly, covered in blood. Her shoulders shook as tears ran down her cheeks from her wide eyes. Odium got up and helped her stand. He guided her to the bathroom and went back to Diablos. Gently he lifted the prone body and carried it to the living room. He placed it on a couch and closed Diablos' eyes.

"No need to let you have dry eyes," he whispered. "You better wake up."

This time the memory did not disappear and it felt like they waited hours. They knew Odium and Arsenic more or less had passed out due to exhaustion and waited for what would happen. Would Diablos rise up?

They stood by the entrance doors when they heard someone sit up in the living room.

"Do you think it's Odium again?" Hermione asked. He had been up a few times and checked the warding he had done before going back and passing out like a light.

"No, he checked just fifteen minutes ago," Harry said. "He's too deeply asleep."

They all looked to the doors that led into the living room and the one stepping outside made them gasp.

Diablos' eyes were clear red, his chest healed and his naked feet making no sound on the floor. He walked, almost floated, towards the doors. His hair was somewhat longer and his skin pale. He did not seem aware of his condition, the blood, his missing shoes or ripped robes; he just opened the doors with the gentlest touch, did he even touch them, and now they saw the Light had put up a tent to watch over Malfoy Manor.

"They have to fight their way out," Lucius said. "They have barely grown up, and have to fight full-fledged Aurors!"

"We see one!" The voice belonged to Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror Lucius had no great love for. He stepped up and squinted to look at Diablos. "It's the runt of them!"

"Runt?" Voldemort asked.

"Yeah, I'm youngest," Harry said. "Draco's a month older than me and Hermione almost a year. But they shouldn't know that."

"Diablos is small," Hermione said. "He's shorter than Arsenic and Odium; of course he's the runt then." It felt too weird for the three children to say Diablos, Arsenic and Odium were them so they simply did not.

Diablos looked down at his hands, held them up for inspection.

"Runt!" Shacklebolt shouted. "Give up, and we won't harm you. Resist and you'll die!"

Diablos stretched out his hands, curious and said:

"Avada Kedavra."

Streaks of green light burst out from his palms, widening to a bow that stretched out wider the further away it got from him as he gasped. Some Aurors dodged, some did not manage and Diablos jumped into the air. It was a great leap, and he landed straight on Shacklebolt so they crashed to the ground. He held up a hand, his hair floating in the air and from his eyes it came slick flames and plunged the hand right through the man's chest. A spray of blood landed on his face as Shacklebolt gasped and coughed at the same time. He ripped out his hand and held the Auror's heart in his hand. Someone screamed.

When the blackness cleared into light, Harry thought he was seeing a parody of the scene before in Malfoy manor.

This time it was Diablos shaking Odium's lifeless corpse, grey eyes open and blank, Arsenic sobbing into her hand and the red eyes shining in the dark.

"Odium!" Diablos shouted. "No, no, no, no!"

The teen was dead.

"He must have been struck by an Avada Kedavra," Voldemort said bitterly. "He has no wounds on his body."

Harry had not seen Diablos cry. Now as he saw tears trickle down Diablos' cheeks he turned his head away. It felt wrong to watch his uncle in such a distressed state.

Diablos hauled Odium close to himself and screamed. It was a long wordless scream, filled with pain and anguish. Harry put his hands over his ears, did not want to hear it.

"We have to go," Arsenic whispered to Diablos. "Come on, they're coming, we can't linger. Diablos, please don't do this to me…"

Diablos looked over to see a group of Aurors quickly moving towards them. Something snapped inside of him. Harry watched with wide eyes as the red eyes filled with hatred and rage. He gripped Odium's body tighter and suddenly Diablos' skin shone up.

"Diablos, what are you doing?" Arsenic asked. As she saw the grip tighten she wailed out, "You can't! It's impossible to bring a human back to life, Diablos! Come on, we have to go! Diablos!"

A ring of light appeared and she was thrown away. She staggered up to see the Aurors stop but too late; they were already in the ring. Diablos gathered magic up, making his body disappear behind the veil of light and he screamed again. This time with one last attempt to give his friend life back.

"What the hell is going on?!" Sirius said as he looked at the scene. "What kind of magic is that?!"

Harry stared at the scene with wide eyes. He had never seen Diablos to that kind of magic. When the light finally vanished, they could hardly believe their eyes.

Arsenic took a shaky step forward as Odium rose up from the ground.

"Odium?" she asked, her voice breaking.

Gray eyes turned to look at her.

"Hello, Arsenic," he said calmly. He turned around and held out a hand for Diablos to take. The teen did so and was dragged up. He looked pale. "Are you alright, Diablos?"

Diablos snorted.

"Stop asking such stupid questions," was the last thing they heard before the scene vanished.

"Wait a minute… Odium was dead," Hermione said as the blackness surrounded them once more. "How come he started living again?"

There was no answer, because no one knew. No one except for Diablos.

A new memory began coming in sight and Harry felt sick for the first time. Not at the memory they were about to watch, but at the look into Diablos' life in general. So filled with pain, hatred and a rage Harry was frightened off. They had to grow up too quickly, all three of them. They had to live through hell day after day. No wonder Diablos tried with all his power to give Harry a happy childhood.

Arsenic came in view first now but she was different. This time it was Voldemort who said something:

"A hybrid…"

"Hybrid?" Harry asked and turned to look at the man. He looked thoughtful.

"She's a hybrid now," the Dark Lord said. "Half human and half… is it snake?"

"No," Rodolphus said. "Look more closely my lord. Half human and half Basilisk."

"I'm fine, Odium, really," Arsenic in the memories said. "They thought they killed me but instead they made me stronger."

"Yes, but the pain you went through," Odium said and shook his head.

"Listen. Now I can be reckless just as you and Diablos," she said. "We can do better at protecting him."

"He doesn't need to be protected," Odium said. "He's strong enough."

"Yes, he has the magic but no control," Arsenic scoffed. "A tiny amount too much, and he's off on a killing-spree. It's lucky he hasn't killed us yet."

"I can't be killed," Odium said.

"Yeah, lucky you," she said sarcastically. "Odium. I didn't mean to protect him from others. I meant to protect him from himself."

"Diablos is not self-destructing," Odium said and rose up. She crossed her arms over her chest, bandaged arms and showed her teeth. They were sharp, like a Basilisk's. Her words faded away along with the images, but they caught what she said:

"Oh, so that's why he tries to carve out his blood-vessels from his own arms?"

-

Diablos laid in a bed when the door opened in the memory. The group got their first look at the Voldemort Diablos had known in the beginning.

A gaunt man walked inside, red eyes glowing and thin lips neutral. His skin was white, looking a bit like snake-scales and his robes were too big. He had shoulder-long black hair, currently up in a low ponytail and a few strands down on the sides of his face.

"You're a lot more stupid than you look," Voldemort informed.

"Good morning to you too," Diablos said, not even looking up from the book he was reading.

"… Right." Voldemort closed the door. "You know, if you continue this you're useless to me."

"I never said I was your tool."

"I never said it either. But the moment you're useless to me, you can't live in the manor anymore."

"Then I'll live on the streets," Diablos said without a care. "That all, Tommie boy?"

A vein ticked on the man's forehead.

"One may wonder why I haven't killed you yet," he growled.

"You can't," Diablos said. "I can kill you before you can kill me."

"Oh Merlin, what the hell is stuck up your arse today?" Voldemort asked as he sat down on the chair next to the bed.

"Funny," the teen said and looked up from the book for the first time. His eyes were dead, lifeless.

"Dumbledore really messed you up," the Dark Lord said.

"It suited his goal," Diablos said with a shrug but one side of his lips twitched and his fingers tightened around the book.

"I really was talkative there," the real Voldemort said.

"Yeah, and Dia is acting up," Harry said. "I've never heard him quite like this before."

The memory-Voldemort spoke again:

"What do I have to do to break through your surprisingly thick skull?"

"Try a sledge hammer," Diablos suggested. "Last time the Light tried with a club but it didn't quite do the trick."

"Let me get one right this moment before you drive me insane."

"You already are insane."

"Shut up brat."

"Really, what do you want except for telling me what an idiot I am?" Diablos said and looked at him. "I'm trying to read."

"Alright, do you want me to get to the point?"

"Please."

"I'm sick of you acting like a fucking spoiled brat," Voldemort said. Deep inside of the red eyes belonging to the teen something swirled. A reaction at last. "I know you had a fucked-up childhood, your uncle hit you if you breathed too loudly but that doesn't give you the excuse to cut yourself for your own amusement. Fine if you had been alone but you got two friends who can't quite function without you. If they had been okay with you cutting, I would have thrown you out long ago because you're pissing me off with your behaviour. But now they don't, and one of them is a fucking great potions mistress, almost up in the same class as Severus so I don't want her to screw up and loose her life because of you. So you better straighten yourself up for them. Not for me, but for them."

Diablos looked at him for a long time. Harry waited. What would his uncle say?

"What if… the only thing that keeps me sane… is the cutting?" Diablos asked carefully, no longer playing disinterested. His voice had gone softer, quiet, learned from the time with the Dursleys; make as little noise as possible. He closed the book carefully.

"I knew you would say that," Voldemort replied. "What happens if you stop?"

"I don't know, I can't remember. I've only done it once, and I woke up to find I had killed two people," the teen said. "Two prisoners."

"Fine, I got it. But there is no solution in cutting," the Dark Lord said. "Stop it and start controlling yourself."

"It's not that easy."

"I can control my magic fine, so can Arsenic and Odium. Why can't you?"

"Because my magic… has a life on its own."

-

They all were gasping when they found themselves on the living room floor again. Harry sprung up and looked around. Dora stood by the doorway and pointed at a Pensive.

"Master told you to watch the rest of the memories," she said. "They are in the Pensive."

"Where is Dia?"

"Master looked terrible ill and went to bed. Dora will take care of master," the house-elf said. "Master said you should watch the rest of the memories."

"Did you know… Dia was me?" Harry asked as the others got up.

"The memories will tell you what Dora knows," she said and then she was gone.

They all turned to the Pensive.

"Well, the man says we should watch it," Voldemort said. "I'm glad I didn't eat lunch today; I have a feeling it would have come up otherwise."

"You're admitting a weakness?" Sirius asked in mock-shock.

"Everyone has it," Voldemort sniffed out. "I'm just too stupid to realize it. Shall we?"

They all closed in on the Pensive and they saw the whirl of memories. They looked down.

-

It did not hurt when they landed and they got up slowly.

"Where are we?" Harry said.

"Looks like dungeons," Hermione said. "Or at least underground."

They saw memory-Voldemort sit at one end on a throne, looking bored. He drummed with his fingers as he stared up at the roof.

Suddenly the doors at the other side banged open and Harry gaped. Diablos, Arsenic and Odium walked inside, Diablos dressed in blood red, Arsenic in poison green and Odium in pure white. Diablos and Odium had sturdy black boots while Arsenic wore something akin to high-heels, her hair bouncing with each step. Diablos' looked more like floating out a bit behind him and Odium had short, spiky hair. Their steps echoed in the room.

"They look a bit older than last time," Hermione noted. "Diablos looks… different too."

"He looks like Dia now," Harry said. He then smiled and continued, "He walks the same way. The scary teacher-look."

"By the looks of your faces, it seems like it went well," memory-Voldemort said and rose up.

"Why wouldn't it?" Arsenic asked as they stopped. Bits of her temples had scale-looking skin. "I got a perfect chance to test my new products."

"Look, Harry!" Draco suddenly said. "The pouch! She's wearing the pouch that the woman on the picture did!"

Harry looked closely at Arsenic and realized it was true. He turned to look at Odium. When you thought about it… the two looked a lot like the two unknown people on the photo with him and Diablos.

Before he could see anything else, they plummeted into darkness. When they came to a new memory Diablos was sitting in a library and reading. He looked up once the door opened.

"Tommie boy," he greeted.

"I think I should give up on that name-issue as you clearly ignore me whenever I bring it up," Voldemort sighed. "I have something for you."

"Really now?" Diablos asked. "A present for my good behaviour?"

"No, someone who will help you keeps your bad behaviour away," the Dark Lord said. "Diablos, meet Dora. Dora, this is your master."

Harry gaped as he saw Dora peer at Diablos, clutching a bit of her vest.

"Master Diablos," she said. Diablos blinked.

"I don't require a house-elf," he said carefully to Voldemort.

"Sure you do. She's fabulous, and strong-minded. She got into an argument with my house-elves, beat the crap out of them and I understood she would be perfect for you."

Diablos' eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

"Well, don't be shy now, both of you!" Voldemort said cheerfully and then he was gone. Dora looked after him and then turned back to Diablos.

"Is there anything master would like?" she asked.

"Yes, Dumbledore's head on a plate."

"If master tells Dora who Dumbledore is, Dora will give his head to master on a plate. Or maybe the silver tray? It looks nicer than the plates."

Diablos stared at her. She blinked innocently.

The memory disappeared and was replaced by a new. It made it turn in Harry's stomach.

Diablos lifted up a corpse and had a look, then threw it aside.

"No good?" Arsenic asked.

"Nope," the young man replied. "Why are you so insistent of having a heart?"

"Because I have all other organs, but I had to use the heart!" the woman said with a pout. "Now find me a heart!" She made a shooing motion with her hands at him.

"Yes, yes," Diablos said and kicked on another corpse to have a look. The chest was intact and he sighed. He kneeled down and placed a hand on the chest. "Damn."

"No luck?" Odium asked as he threw away the upper body of a man. The legs were lying at Odium's feet.

"No," Diablos said and rose up. "How about you?"

"The heart takes a lot of damage when killed," Odium said with a shrug.

"Alright, let's find one who was killed with Avada Kedavra."

"Only problem with that, Diablos, is that no one uses it anymore," the white-dressed man said.

"Fuck, where are the good old days when you killed everyone with Avada Kedavra?" Diablos exclaimed and then went to another body. "Hmm, this one is looking good. Aah… no."

"Why not?"

Odium turned and saw Diablos looked down at the dead child.

"No good," Odium agreed. Diablos lifted the small girl up, her lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.

"I think I'm going to puke," Sirius mumbled from behind Harry, Hermione and Draco. The three children could not look away even if they wanted to.

"A child?" Arsenic asked and came forward. "What killed her?"

"I'm not sure," Diablos said. "Could have been Avada Kedavra, because I can't see any wounds on her."

Arsenic smiled sadly and reached over to close the girl's eyes.

"When did war start to mean 'kill everything in sight'?" she asked the red-eyed man.

"Since Dumbledore was born," Diablos replied and walked away from the battlefield. They followed him, wanting to get away from the bloodied chaos. Diablos kneeled down a bit away and with a wave opened a hole in the ground. He gently placed down the girl and said, "Sorry I can't do much more, girl. But at least no one can feed on your flesh."

He strokes a lock of blonde hair from her face and snapped his fingers. The grave filled up, covering her and he ran a hand over the earth, uttering a few words and from his fingers a substance floated out and created a surface impossible for an animal to dig through. He placed a hand on the stone and looked back where Odium and Arsenic was still searching.

"Why do we live?" he asked into the night and the memory passed.

As the next one came in, it was quite different from everything else.

"We're at the tops of Scotland," Bellatrix said and looked around.

"Who are all these people?" Voldemort asked.

"Well, I can see Bellatrix there," Sirius said and pointed.

True; she stood dressed in complete black just a bit away from her. She looked down at a ring she was wearing around her neck like a pendant, caressed and said:

"First you, Rodolphus, and then Rabastan… and now… we can't win can we? Not now. Not without the lord."

"Not without me?" Voldemort asked. He looked around. "Wait a minute, does that mean…?"

A group of six people came walking suddenly, carrying on a stretcher. Diablos walked in front of them, holding a torch and his face carefully blank. He was walking towards a bonfire and walked to the side of it as he reached it. He looked on as the black-dressed men and women put the stretcher down on top of the bonfire.

"You're dead," Sirius told Voldemort. "You're fucking dead."

Memory-Voldemort looked to be sleeping. He was dressed in red robes, looking like it had been drenched in blood and his white arms resting on top of his chest.

"Today," a woman spoke and to their surprise it was Arsenic. "Today we take farewell of our leader, lord Voldemort. We swear we shall avenge his death; we shall take Albus Dumbledore down and bring peace back to the Wizarding World. Lord Voldemort's wish was for his successor to burn his corpse so no living man or woman can find it. We welcome the new Dark Lord… Diablos."

The man stepped up and the watchers of the memory felt their blood freeze to ice.

"He was strong enough to impress me that much?" Voldemort asked. "He can't be that old! He doesn't even look to be twenty!"

Diablos looked at the corpse for a while and without a word threw the torch away. He raised his hand instead, fingers splayed out and red flames shot out from his hand and set the body on fire. The flames rose quickly but he did not stay to watch. The young man turned around and walked away as the others watched their former leader burn.

Once the blackness disappeared, melting away to a new memory, they were still at the burial sight. The bonfire had burnt down and now Diablos, Arsenic and Odium were alone.

"Diablos," Arsenic said. "We know you didn't want to become Voldemort's successor, but this is the only way to show the light we're still fighting."

"Really?" the red-eyed teen said. "By appointing a brat to a new Dark Lord? We can't kill Dumbledore. He's done too many rituals on himself."

"You have the magic…" she began.

"I have, but not the control," Diablos snapped. "I am one of them, but I had to absorb the powers too quickly. I can't use them."

"What do you suggest we do then?" Odium asked.

"Frankly? I don't have a fucking idea."

"This is too much," Sirius moaned as they travelled to a new memory. "Too damn much."

"Give up!"

The voice made them all freeze. Dumbledore! Would they finally get the chance to see Dumbledore in Diablos' time? They all turned to see the old man.

His eyes were crazy, his smile triumph, and his magic reeked of darkness.

"He feels a lot like myself," Voldemort commented. "So much for the leader of the light."

He was backed up by Aurors, Order members and they all watched a small force of the dark in glee.

"Give up now, and embrace the light!" Dumbledore continued. "Your leader is lost! Voldemort is gone!"

"Gone but not forgotten!" Bellatrix screamed. "Why should we join the man who killed our lord?! You are more of a monster than what he was!"

"Now, now, give it up," the man said with his famous grandfather-smile. "There is nothing you can do!"

Suddenly a robed man appeared in the small group of dark people and Bellatrix bowed.

"My lord," she said high enough to let the light hear. Their faces went white. "You came."

The hood was taken away by pale hands and they saw a white mask covering the upper half of the man's face, his hair drawn back to a ponytail. But there was no mistake in recognizing the wild hair temporary tamed and the shape of the young man's face, and the glittering red eyes behind the mask.

"Dia," Harry said.

"Who are you?!" Dumbledore screamed.

Diablos held out a hand towards them and said:

"Me? Just a devil walking this earth. Arsenic!"

The woman broke free from the others and began to run towards the group of light. She was dressed in tight top and tight pants with the pouch on her hip. She grinned and plucked out two bottles from it.

"She fights with potions!" Dumbledore screamed.

"Odium!" she shouted in glee. The man appeared next to her, his white clothes a strong contrast to her black clothing. He ran beforehand, then stopped and held his hands together. She took a leap, landed with one foot on his hands and he threw her up in the air. She whirled around and the potions mixed together. They exploded and fire rained down on the light people. Before she could land, a man on a broom came and caught her. He flew right over the people, back towards the dark and then they could see who it was.

"It's George!" Harry said in shock.

George Weasley dropped her down by the people but remained on his broom.

"Building up for it, eh, Diablos?" he asked with a grin. "Fred's on his way. Bill should be done soon too."

"Good," Diablos said.

"Dumbledore's gone crazy though," George said. "I could feel his magic reeking even from the air."

"I can feel it from here," Diablos said. "I can't defeat him now."

"But you're going to kill half of his most trusted people right?" George asked.

"Step back," Diablos suddenly growled and the hair sprang free from the ponytail. Everyone backed, knowing his powers more than what the watchers did.

As Dumbledore got the flames away, he looked over to the dark people. Diablos opened his eyes wide and magic tore out from him.

"Fred's here!" George screamed.

"Go for it!" Diablos called out. "I'll keep them busy!"

They saw a glimpse of Fred and saw he was missing one eye. Then both Weasleys flew up in the air, towards the light group.

Diablos' head rolled back lightly and his eyes fluttered close. Odium was suddenly behind him and said:

"Keep control."

The eyes snapped open again and Diablos focused once more. Before they could see the end of the fight, the scene vanished.

"Master Diablos?"

Dora's voice was careful and they turned around in the room. Diablos was lying on the bed, holding an ice-pack to his forehead.

"Dia always did that when he had a bad headache," Harry said suddenly.

"Master?" the house-elf tried again.

"Yes?" Diablos asked.

"Missis Arsenic gave Dora this note. Missis said master would know what it was about."

Diablos groaned and got up. He stretched for his wrinkled robe when Dora snatched it away, and waved her finger dangerously.

"Master shall have a new robe!" she chided. "Master can't come and look like he has slept on the streets!"

She hurried to a wardrobe and opened it. She took out a new robe and said:

"Master will put this on."

Diablos raised an eyebrow but obeyed. He slipped the robe on, keeping the ice-pack against one temple and said:

"Dora, you will be coming with me today."

"Dora will? Why? Is Dumbledore around so Dora can give his head on the silver tray to master?"

"Not… exactly," Diablos said. "We won't return here."

"Should we erase our presence from here then?" she asked even as she got a trunk out and packed down all the robes and books in the room with a quick snap of her fingers.

"Erase it how?" he asked as he finished buttoning the robe and turned to look at her.

"Shall Dora burn the house, perhaps?" she asked. "A house-elf's magic cannot be detected and all traces will be lost."

"… Good idea. Do that."

The memories blurred into each other and suddenly Diablos was standing by the northern Scotland coast again. He turned around a bit, Dora standing next to him. He then started to walk and not long after that they saw five people building something.

"Diablos, there you are!" twin voices called out.

Fred and George grinned, Fred with a fake eye looking exactly like his real one. Only thing that betrayed something else was the case was the scar running down his face, over his eye and stopping near his mouth.

"Fred, George," Diablos acknowledged. "Bill."

Memory-Bill looked exhausted and just raised a tired hand to the young man before continuing to work. Arsenic and Odium stepped up to Diablos and the woman said:

"It's almost complete. But they are gaining on us."

"How much time to we have before Dumbledore comes over for a visit?" he asked.

"Less then twenty minutes," she replied.

"What are we standing here for then? Let's get back to work."

You could not understand what they were building. It looked like a sort of oval ring suspended a foot up in the air, magic all around, magic that were foreign for the watchers.

Diablos stood in the front and said:

"You sure this thing is a time-machine, Arsenic?"

"Of course it is!" she said. "It was partly destroyed when we stole it from the Ministry, but it will work."

"What year are we going back to?" Diablos asked.

"That's where the troubles start," she said and came up to him. "We can end up anytime between the years 1955 and 1965. I don't know if we'll come out looking like this, or are born again."

"Great," the young man said.

"It's our best shot," she said.

"I know," he replied. "Doesn't mean I like it."

"At least this won't happen," she said. "Maybe it will be better…"

"Maybe," Diablos said. "Maybe not."

Suddenly they heard screams and turned around. Dumbledore was in front of the group closing in on them, running towards them with a crazy expression on his face.

"Bill!" Diablos screamed.

The man turned around and slammed his hands to the ground, setting off the warding he had prepared earlier. The light people could not get inside.

"Go!" he screamed to Diablos. "You, Arsenic and Odium! Dora, go with your master!"

"What about you guys?" Diablos said even as Odium grabbed a hold of him and Dora grabbed onto his robe to stay with him.

Bill looked at him for a long time and said:

"It can't take more than you guys. Not at the same time. It has to recharge for ten minutes before the next group can go, and it can only make two trips with the repairs we've done on it."

"The wards won't hold that long!" Diablos exclaimed. Arsenic pulled her things with her and got up to them.

"We already know that," Fred said and clasped his shoulder. "Either we'll see you, or we won't. We'll mix the time up after you so Dumbledore can't figure out where you've gone."

"Wait--!"

Odium pulled him and Arsenic through the ring, and the last thing they saw was the three Weasleys pull out their wands to fight an already lost battle.

-

Harry gasped as he pulled up from the Pensive. Hermione had a death-grip on his arm and was shaking as well. Draco sat down in the closest armchair, staring ahead of him. Narcissa walked over to him quickly and kneeled down. She took his hands and held them gently and he looked down at her. Lucius walked forward as well, and Sirius came up to Harry and Hermione.

"You two okay?" he asked quietly. "Come on, it's getting late."

"No," Harry said. "I want to see Dia."

"Harry, whatever it is it can wait until tomorrow," Remus tried with.

Harry got free from Hermione and turned away. He ran up the stairs and was relieved when no one followed him. He came to a stop when he reached his uncle's door, his hand on the handle. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

The room was a bit chilly; all the windows were open. Harry snapped his fingers and Dora showed up.

"Close the windows and set a fire going," he said. "Dia must be freezing."

"Master is asleep," she said carefully.

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out, otherwise he would've been up already," Harry said.

"Is little master… angry?"

Was he? He looked at her and took a new deep breath, pushing away all the horrible memories Diablos had to deal with every day and said:

"No. More like… nah, nothing. Should I be?"

"Dora doesn't know," the house-elf said as she started the fire. Within a few moments, all the windows were closed and she walked up to the nightstand. Diablos did not move from his spot, back towards the door. She took up the empty potion bottles and sighed.

"What is that?" Harry asked.

"Calming Draughts, little master," she said. "At least master wasn't stupid enough and mixed them with a Dreamless sleep potion."

She muttered as she walked past him and vanished down the hall. Harry carefully closed the door and walked up the bed. He got off his robe and crawled up. As he touched his uncle's shoulder, Diablos woke up.

"Harry?" His voice was quiet, as if he expected an outburst.

"You took away a lot of the more horrible things that happened, didn't you?" Harry asked.

"There was no reason for you to see it," he replied. "I wouldn't want to give you nightmares."

Harry made him roll over and promptly lay down next to him. Diablos froze.

"Dia, put your arm around my shoulders and stop acting like I'm going to hit you," the teen said. "I'm not going to do anything."

Diablos slowly relaxed and curled an arm around Harry.

"Aren't you angry?" he asked. Quiet voice, a lesson imprinted in his head even after all years; _be quiet, don't make noise, don't bother people_.

"Why should I be?" Harry asked. "I got no reason to be angry."

"I lied to you. For your entire life."

"Yeah, like I would have believed you if you told me any sooner," Harry said with a snort. "I would have thought my uncle had finally gone crazy."

Diablos laughed.

"I'm afraid I haven't been sane for a very long time," he said to the teen.

"Well… at least you act sane. Everyone is a little crazy anyway."

Diablos closed his eyes, felt his nephew's warmth and turned his head to inhale Harry's scent. They were going to be fine.

Tbc…

* * *

Yay, I really wrote this one fast!

Chapter 29 and LAST CHAPTER: Christmas, the rest of the year. Something dark is slowly building up in Dumbledore and in the end they will have to fight for their lives. May take some time but LOOK FORWARD TO IT! Yay! And yes, I've gotten way too much sugar in me right now. Don't complain, sugar makes my inspiration go way too high and write way too much new stuff (or in this case, makes me write this entire chapter in almost one night only!)

Until later,

Ja,

Tiro


	30. Chapter 29

**A Second Chance**

**Summary**: Harry Potter never went to his relatives. Why not? Because there was someone who took him away first. Someone who knew the future before it happened and decided to change it.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Dumbledore bashing, Gryffindor bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, fake Prophecy, Smart!Harry and Dark! but not Evil!Harry. Oh, and there will be three Weasleys siding with Harry; the twins and Bill. Possible Charlie as well; I haven't decided yet.

**Disclaimers**: I will never, ever in my whole life be able to own Harry Potter /cries/ He belongs to JK Rowling and no one else.

-

The long wait for the last chapter is now over! I thank you for your patience, and bring to you the climax of _A Second Chance_!

-

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

Voldemort and Lucius were up early in the morning, talking quietly to each other in the living room when they saw Diablos step inside. They quieted down but he appeared not to notice them.

"Diablos, what are you doing up when you're half-asleep?"

The sudden voice made them look around. Where did it come from?

"Shut it and stuff it," Diablos muttered.

"Oh, what a joy; I get to see your nasty side this lovely morning," the voice said sarcastically. "What is stuck up your ass, or is it just me again?"

Diablos slumped down on a couch and said:

"You're annoying."

"Yes, I know. That is all I can do for the moment; be annoying. Do you know how boring it is to be without a body?"

"How about I throw you back where I found you?" Diablos said, eyes closed.

"Hn. Fine, I'll shut up on one condition."

"What?"

"Can you please give me something to do? It's boring lying on the table."

Diablos leaned over to the table and plucked something from it.

"It's a necklace he's usually wearing," Lucius said to the Dark Lord.

Diablos muttered a spell and it glowed up. It was now floating in the air.

"Lovely," the voice said from the necklace. "Wow, I can move!"

"What, did you think I would just suspend you in the air for my own amusement?"

"I was kind of expecting it, because you're evil."

"Speak for yourself, Tommie boy."

They gaped. They knew that nickname. A groan came from the necklace and the bodiless Voldemort, currently sealed into a necklace somehow, said:

"Remind me to kill you when I get a body."

"I can always have Arsenic mess up and accidently destroying the body," Diablos mentioned as he sat back and curled up on the couch. "Or make it into a woman."

"That's it! You are more evil than me!" Voldemort protested as he made the necklace poke into Diablos' chest. The man looked at it and the necklace hovered above him for a little bit before sinking down on his chest.

"What is it now?" Diablos asked.

"You really wouldn't send me back, would you?" The voice was quiet.

"I'm not that evil," the raven-haired man said and lifted the necklace up. It was glowing now. "I know you don't have a body, but your mind can get tired too. How long since you had any rest?"

"I can't remember."

"Then rest now."

"I… I don't remember how to."

"I'm guessing calling you Tommie boy won't help," Diablos said.

"Not much. Although I should probably stop calling myself Voldemort."

Diablos stared at the necklace. Then he blinked once, and said:

"Let me call Lucifer to check if hell just froze over, it will only take a minute."

"Very funny, Diablos, very funny."

"Seriously, why?" the man asked as he looked at the necklace. The conversation seemed bizarre but Diablos and his time's Voldemort seemed not to be bothered.

"There is already one in this world," Voldemort replied. "It's just pointless having two; we would try to kill each other."

"Well, I don't know about him but you better behave."

"What are you going to do if I don't?"

"I am going to drop this necklace into the sea and forget where I dropped it. Have a nice swim with the fishes."

"… I'll behave."

"Good Dark Lord."

"I hate you so much."

"Love you too, Tommie boy," Diablos said and let the necklace rest on his chest again as he arranged into a half-slumped comfortable position on the couch. They heard some grumbling from the necklace but no actual words.

Before Lucius and Voldemort had recovered completely Harry walked into the room, dressed in a pair of pyjama pants and one of Diablos' shirts. He yawned and sat down next to his uncle who was now solving a sort of crossword.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked, cheek resting on the man's arm to see the crossword.

"Muggle crossword," Diablos replied. "Salerna said it would be good for my nerves."

"Is it?"

"A bit," the man admitted. "Why are you up though? It's a bit too early for you." He was absently threading a hand through Harry's hair, smoothing it out.

"I couldn't sleep without you," Harry said with a yawn. "Or it felt weird to sleep in your bed. What's up with the necklace?"

"Oh, meet my time's Voldemort. Tommie boy, be good and say hello to Harry."

"Hello Harry," 'Tommie boy' said dutifully.

Harry took the necklace, slumped back against Diablos, his back against the man's side and said:

"This is Voldemort?"

"Yes, I am the great and terrifying lord Voldemort!" the voice burst out.

"Currently sealed into a tiny piece of jewellery," Diablos finished.

"Did you have to spoil it like that?" Tom whined. "And yes, Harry, you may as well call me Tom. Call me Tommie boy though, and I will try to kill your dear uncle."

"Swimming with the fishes," Diablos sang.

"… I hate you, Diablos."

"Yes, love you too Tommie boy."

"How come you aren't scared of him?" Harry asked, tilting his head back to look at Diablos. Red-blue eyes found his and Diablos smiled.

"Scared? There is nothing to be scared off."

"Hey, Diablos, don't destroy my image as a bad and evil Dark Lord here!" Tom exclaimed.

"Your image was lousy anyway," Diablos said and continued with his crossword.

"Dia…"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Can you call Arsenic and Odium here?"

Diablos looked down at Harry who was playing around with the necklace, Tom declaring he was going to be sick. The man took the necklace and held it gently in his hand as he tilted Harry's head back again, two fingers on his nephew's chin.

"Do you want to meet them?" he asked quietly.

"Haven't I met them before?"

"How did you know?"

"You had a picture… in a book… I kinda took the picture with me."

"Ah. Yes, that one. Arsenic insisted. Well, I can call them here as long as you want to meet them."

"When Hermione and Draco are awake I think," Harry said. "I'll have to talk with them before we decide anything. And I still want to ask you a few things."

"Ask away."

"I would if I could, but I'm too hungry."

Diablos shook his head and snapped his fingers. Dora showed up and said:

"Master and young master wishes breakfast?"

"Yes, Dora, that would be lovely," Diablos said. "And some to Lucius and Voldemort over there if they wish."

That woke the two up from the stupor and they walked up to Diablos and Harry, seating themselves in two armchairs while Dora asked them what they wanted. After memorizing all of their wishes she popped back to the kitchen.

Harry nuzzled back into his uncle's side and they heard some grumbling from the necklace. Diablos lifted it up from where it had fallen between the two and with a sigh got it on.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Harry asked. "I mean, there is a soul in there."

"Always lovely to hear people talk like I'm not here," Tom said dryly.

"Ocean and fishes," Diablos warned and then told his nephew, "He has no intention to take me over, so that's how it works out."

"Wait a minute…" Harry said. "You had it on at the end of second year!"

"Yes. You know that ritual I ended up in hospital with?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatever we said that day, me and Orator, was a lie. He helped me… bringing Tom here back to the living world."

Harry stared at Diablos and then said:

"How? He died… in another time."

"In hell, time doesn't matter," Diablos said and looked away. "In hell, everything from all times and dimensions are there."

"You… went down in hell?" Harry managed.

"… Yes," Diablos said. "The ritual was… not something I could manage on my own. We also sealed Tom into a necklace, similar to the fate of Orator's tribe."

"What?"

"Some secrets shouldn't be revealed," Diablos said. "But if he comes and you ask nicely enough, maybe Orator will share."

Harry nodded, leaving it alone for now. So he continued on something else:

"How was… it? In hell I mean?"

"Not something I would recommend," Diablos said and looked at the teen. "Painful… it feels like you're burning from the inside out… the wind there rips your skin away, over and over again, things trying to grab you and draw you down into the flames. I never want to feel that again."

-

Diablos sat on his bed, looking at the two mirrors. They wanted to see Arsenic and Odium.

He waited for the two to arrive to the mirrors and they did so… simultaneously. And they said they never did anything the same way. Yeah, right, like he believed that.

"Hello both of you."

"Both of us?" they said in union. A moment later, "What?"

He lifted the mirrors and showed them.

"What the hell?!" Both of them. "Stop that!" Still both of them.

"You are quite alike," he could not resist adding.

"Diablos!" Arsenic shrieked. "That was evil!"

"You are evil!" Odium retorted.

"Before you start arguing I got something to tell you."

His voice was so serious they stopped immediately. They looked at him.

"They know," Diablos said. "About us."

"Have you told them?" Odium asked.

"Harry figured it out."

"I figured as much although I seriously doubt Hermione was much later," Arsenic said. "So. You want us to come?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there in ten minutes, darling," she said sweetly.

"Same here."

"You like to copy each other a lot," Diablos could not help saying.

"Shut up!"

-

Harry was sitting with Hermione and Draco in the living room along with Voldemort, Lucius, Sirius and Remus. Hermione's parents had gone to the library, Narcissa had followed with them and the three Lestranges had gone back home to rest.

Suddenly they heard the outer door open and a woman's voice:

"You're so damn impossible!"

"Oh my, you've learned swearing. Where is the world leading to?" A deep man's voice. Harry recognized it.

"You shut up, Odium or I will definitely tear your vocal cords out!"

They gaped and went to the opening.

Arsenic threw her outer robe at Odium who caught it and cast it to the side. She turned around and walked towards the stairs, her hair bouncing with her steps and the heels making it echo. He followed, almost floating, making no sound as she almost tore up the stairs.

"Diablos, come on! Get out from your room this very instant and greet your guests!" she shouted when she was halfway up.

"You know, normal guests wait by the door," Odium called out behind her.

"Do you want to loose your tongue?!"

"Try it," Odium said with a fearsome grin. "The last two times didn't quite do the trick."

"Shut up both of you!" Diablos appeared at the top of the stairs, eyebrow twitching and he continued, "You are out to make me deaf, aren't you?"

"Oh my, you saw right through it," Arsenic said, holding a hand over her mouth, eyes blinking innocently.

"That's our Diablos," Odium said and smiled.

"You two are completely impossible," Diablos said, shook his head and walked down to the woman. "What, you ran to me so you didn't have to face Hermione and Draco?"

The two on the stairs slowly turned and saw the two standing next to Harry.

"Oh my," Arsenic repeated.

"Dearie, dearie," Odium muttered. "I had forgotten I was that small."

"I'm not small!" Draco shrieked.

"The shriek's the same," Arsenic said helpfully.

Diablos groaned.

-

Hermione and Draco could not stop look at Odium and Arsenic. The two endured the children's stares, and Arsenic picked Tom up from the table.

"How are you doing today?" she asked cheerfully.

"Great until you arrived," was the grumpy answer.

"Tom, you do know I can make you a woman physically," she continued in the same cheery voice. "Now, how are you doing today?"

"… Fine, ma'am."

"That's more like it," she said and put the necklace down again. "Ah, yes, Diablos before I forget I need some ingredients before I leave for today."

"What do you need?" the man asked.

"Powdered Basilisk fangs and some Dementor-blood," she said.

The man looked at her as the others stared.

"I delivered Dementor-blood to you a week ago," he said.

"Yes, but I need more," she said. "The potion is hard."

"You managed to destroy it?"

"No, I was just going to make some extras just in case!" she exclaimed. "Now, it seems like they all want some answers." She clapped her hands and Odium shook his head.

Diablos turned his head and looked at the others.

"True," he said. "Anyone who want to start with the questions?"

"I have one actually," Lucius said. "It concerns one of the memories Diablos showed us… the one where he… died."

"That one," Diablos said. "What about it?"

"The potion… Odium gave you. It belonged to me, but I've never heard of it."

"It's because you didn't get it until I was fourteen," Odium said. "And please, don't get it."

"Why not? It sounds good."

"Trust me," Diablos said, suddenly tense. "It's not."

They all looked at him.

"Why isn't it good?" Harry asked.

"It's hard to explain," Diablos said and looked at him. "But it made me… less than sane for a long time."

"Less than sane?" the teen said slowly.

"Less than sane?" Odium said. "Try completely crazy."

"Odium…" Diablos warned.

"I'm lucky to be dead already, otherwise you'd killed me."

"You're dead?!" Draco exclaimed.

"Didn't you realize that?" Odium asked. "I've been dead for a good number of years."

"That's why I can threaten to cut his head off and then actually do it," Arsenic said.

"Yes, but it's annoying when you do it," Odium said. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to try move your body without the head attached to it?"

"I believe we're straying off the subject," Diablos said. "Yes, Odium is dead, yes I was insane and Arsenic here is a hybrid. We're all freaks so can we move on?"

"We aren't freaks," Arsenic said with a pout. "Dumbledore is a freak. We're… special."

"Dia, what was in that potion?" Harry asked. "Children of Mother Nature… what are they?"

"To make a long story short, it's Ancient Wizards," Diablos said tiredly. "Their most significant recognition is their clear red eyes."

Voldemort's eyes widened.

"An Ancient Wizard's magic is the most powerful thing existing on this earth," he said. "But… people who have been turned usually dies within a few years because of the pressure."

"They die or go insane," Diablos said. "I was too angry to die… so I became insane for a time."

"How did you appear?" Hermione suddenly asked. "We know Diablos grew up with Mary and John Potter, but what about you two?"

"It was very strange," Arsenic said and leaned back in the chair she was sitting in. "Odium didn't change at all. Diablos turned into a child, vanishing from our sight and when we found him, or rather his presence he was… gosh, could you have been seven, and your magic was much calmer. Like the blood of the Potters had given you back some humanity."

"It did," Diablos said. "Had it been someone else's blood it wouldn't have done a thing. But with the Potter blood, as I was a Potter, I got back some of my sanity. I still had my outbursts but I managed to control them."

"What about you, Arsenic?" Lucius asked. "Did you change?"

"I woke up as a ten-year old girl," Arsenic said. "Still with my hybrid-form. Our powers remained, although Diablos' had gone to rest because he was in such a fragile body."

"Fragile?" Diablos questioned.

"Well, a child's body then," she admitted.

"That's better," he said with a glare.

"Well, your mood hasn't approved much," Arsenic said with a sniff.

He only raised an eyebrow.

-

Harry looked upstairs where he knew Diablos was currently explaining a few things to Salerna. Harry wondered if Salerna had known. He had to ask the man.

He heard Odium talk about something with Bill, and felt the irony of the situation. Odium, Arsenic and Diablos knew so much about them that it was scary, and they had all met in a way in another time and place. It made Harry's head hurt. What had it done to Diablos for all these years, to see his own father as his younger brother, to see that same younger brother being lowered down to into the earth for the final rest?

That led to another question. Harry had not been told much about Mary and John's death, only James had been 20 when they died and that Harry had been a few weeks old. Harry had managed to drag out from his uncle that they had died of an illness. What illness he had not said, but they had not been young when they died. It could have been any illness.

He went back into the living room and sat down by Hermione and Draco. The twins joined them moments later. Cissi and Ginny had not arrived with Salerna but would come later on.

"Weird stuff," Fred said.

"Indeed," George agreed.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"But now I guess we understand how he managed to know everything," Fred said with a shrug.

"I think he's got a few more things up his sleeve, so don't pretend you're out of the danger-zone just yet," Harry said.

"Damn."

Diablos entered the living-room with Salerna and the white-haired man did not seem upset or confused at all. Harry knew Salerna had known at some level. He was not angry for it though. The white-haired man was observant; it would have been strange for him to not notice _something_. Although he had been really quiet about Tom. Should he not have felt something from the necklace, some ounce of the former Dark Lord's magic?

"Dia."

Diablos walked over to the group of children and looked at Harry.

"This isn't about your past with Odium and Arsenic but something else…"

"Okay, I'm all ears."

"What did really happen to Mary and John?"

"… You can call them your grandparents."

"It feels weird to do so," Harry said as he made place for his uncle to sit down. The others listened.

"Oh… then it's okay I guess. What happened? They died."

"I know that. How? You refused to tell me anything."

Diablos looked at Harry and said:

"It was hard for me to tell, it was not that I was keeping something from you."

"Because… they were like your parents?"

"I suppose." Diablos closed his eyes for a moment, memories assaulting his mind.

"_We can't just leave him here! They are going to send him to some orphanage, and you know what will happen, John!"_

_Diablos listened intently on what she was saying. She was vaguely familiar but he could not place her. He had barely been able to place people as wizards and witches, so lost after the travel. He must have hit his head pretty badly. And this body helped little. He was scared, and wondered where Arsenic, Odium and Dora were. He missed them already. He could not feel them, but with this body he probably could not feel anyone outside of the room. Plus the headache was freaking killing him._

"_I know, Mary, calm down," John said. "But don't you think it's a bit drastic to adopt a child we don't even know?"_

"_That's the same as going to an orphanage and picking a child," Mary said. "There is something about him… that makes him different."_

"_He hasn't even spoken."_

"_He's scared, that's natural," Mary said. "John… give him a chance. At an orphanage, with those eyes… he'll never get away from there."_

_John looked at him. Diablos stared passively back._

"_His eyes are dead," the man said to his wife. "That child is dead."_

_Mary grabbed her husband's hand and said with determination in her voice:_

"_Then let's bring him back to li__fe." _

Diablos blinked and released a breath. The others had not noticed, save for Harry and Salerna. Those two were too observant.

"Dia?" the teen said. "If you're not comfortable with it, you don't have to tell us."

"He probably doesn't know," Sirius said with a snort, looking a bit angry. "Because he wasn't even there."

"Sirius," Remus said.

"What? You weren't there?" Harry said and looked at the man.

"It was only Lily who found out in the end what really happened that night after their funeral," Diablos said. "Mary and John died of some kind of illness, it was never made sure what kind of illness. They were buried, and Sirius says I wasn't there. It's partial true. I wasn't there on the official time of the funeral. James stayed behind after the funeral. He refused to leave, and Lily went back to their home with you, Harry and Sirius and Remus. Peter… went home, James later told me."

"What did happen then?" Sirius asked. "Show us."

"You don't have to necessarily show me if that feels too uncomfortable," Voldemort said.

"You should see," Diablos said and stretched out a hand, fingers splayed out.

"Why?" the Dark Lord said.

"It would do you some good to see human grief," the man said and their world plummeted into darkness.

-

They appeared in a graveyard.

"That's their graves," Remus said. "James is there."

Harry turned and saw one of the few images of his father. James sat in front of two graves, or had rather collapsed onto his knees, tear tracks down his cheeks. He looked down and bit his lip. He was not sure he wanted to see his father like that.

"You told him to come," James suddenly said. "Well, he never did! You told him, mum, to light up the sky for you again. Well, he hasn't! He didn't even bother to send me a letter whether he was coming or not! Some great son you adopted!"

"Mary always talked about a trick Diablos did when he was young," Remus supplied to the watchers when they grew confused. "Something about he lit up the sky, making it dance for her. It was the biggest gift she had ever received, to have the very heaven moved for her. James was a bit jealous of that because he knew he could never top that."

James hit the ground with his fist and continued, half-screaming, half-sobbing:

"Did he even visit you two when you were dying?! Did he even care?! He doesn't even know how to smile or laugh or do anything that's considered _human_!"

Suddenly, a voice from the dark:

"She told me to take care of you."

James whipped his head up and around as he stood up, and his eyes widened as they were fixed somewhere behind them. They turned around.

Diablos stepped up, making no sound and wearing formal funeral robes with his hair flowing down his chest. The red eyes glowed softly in the dark, edges of blue barely visible.

"I think that was the strangest thing she ever requested from me," Diablos said. "When I barely can take care of myself, I should take care of you successfully. I, who barely knows what a smile means, should bring happiness back to you?"

He reached out and wiped away a tear from James' cheek.

"It's a bit late now," he whispered, "but I will do as she wanted."

His eyes closed and he tilted his head up, kept his hand on James' cheek. James looked at his brother, his own hand covering the slim one on his cheek, and suddenly there was light. He looked up.

Colours of the rainbow began a slow dance, much alike an aurora, skidding across the blackish sky, stars shining up and from Diablos came an ethereal light, his hair lifting and to their shock shadows of wings spreading out from his back. James stared up at the light show, seemingly understanding why his mother loved it. Why she loved it even to her last breath, and how it had helped her to die with a smile on her lips and her mind at ease.

Blackness, and then they were back.

-

Diablos had moved. Harry looked around the empty spot in shock and then turned around. He was nowhere in sight. Arsenic and Odium were gone as well.

"Where did they go?" Hermione asked.

"Miss Arsenic and master Odium took master upstairs," Dora said. She had appeared soundlessly right in time for Hermione's question.

"Was he okay?" Harry asked.

"Dora thinks… not. No, little master, master was probably not alright," Dora said. "Dora suggests little master should let master be for a little while."

-

Arsenic helped Diablos out of the robes and said:

"You sure you want to be alone?"

"Yes, I'll be fine," Diablos said. "I just need… just leave."

She folded the robe and stood up. She watched him curl up on the bed and looked at Odium. He nodded and walked out. She put the robes on a chair and walked out as well, closing the door carefully behind her. Looking to her left, towards the stairs, she was faced with Harry.

"I think…" she began. "We should let him be alone."

"He shouldn't be," Harry said. "He just feels sadder then."

"Harry, I don't know if it's such a good idea to barge in just like that."

"I'll go," the teen said and opened the door. "He won't be mad at me."

He closed the door carefully and turned to the bed. All he saw was Diablos' hair and narrow back; he was curled up like a ball. Harry got off his shoes before climbing onto the bed and settled down behind Diablos, saying nothing. He could feel the faint tremble.

"You miss them, don't you?" Harry asked.

"… Yes."

"Mary and John, and mum and dad."

"Yeah."

"I'm sure if I could remember something about them, I would miss them as much. But now I don't, so I can't feel as sorry," Harry said. "I would've loved to meet them though. They sound all like such wonderful people."

"They were," Diablos said thickly. "All four of them."

Harry settled in against the man's back, putting one arm around Diablos but said nothing.

-

When the two emerged later, Diablos was calm but said little. Cissi and Ginny had arrived by now and Ginny was with her brothers, Hermione and Draco. Salerna had quickly informed both of them of what had happened.

"Are you alright?" Odium asked the raven-haired man.

"I'm fine," Diablos replied. "Don't worry too much about me."

"Well, stop giving us reasons to worry, and that will be a good start," the man muttered.

"Shut up."

Diablos walked over to the books as he had promised Harry to start with the basics of swordsmanship. He retrieved a book and walked over to his nephew who was sitting with the others. He stuck the book down into Harry's face and said:

"Read the first chapter tonight, and tomorrow we'll start."

Harry took the book and whined:

"Reading? Why reading?"

"Because tomorrow we will fight with swords," Diablos said with a smile and walked over to Salerna, leaving Harry to stare at him.

-

Diablos stretched and took up a light-weight sword, tested the edge to make sure it was blunt and checked the other. They may fight with swords, but he was not going to let Harry get hurt. Finished with his checking, he took one of them and gripped it well. He tested it briefly, snapping his fingers and making a dolly appear. The dolly took the other sword and he eased up his muscles by mock-duelling with it for a few minutes.

He noticed Harry in the doorway and finished the duel with him cutting off the dolly's head despite the blunt edge, using more force he normally would. He caught the other sword as the dolly vanished into the air and Harry gulped.

"I hope you won't try that on me," the boy said.

"Don't worry, I'll try not to," Diablos said with a cheeky smile. "First, let us get used to the basic positions."

-

Harry sat down on the floor an hour later, breathing hard and letting the sword clatter down onto the floor beside him.

Diablos crouched down next to him and handed him a bottle of water. He had taken off his robes, leaving him in shirt and slacks and had pulled up his hair in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. He was breathing calmly, making the teen jealous.

"That was good for a first time," Diablos said. "Let's break it for the day, okay? Drink a bit and then a shower wouldn't be so bad, right?"

Harry nodded and gulped the water down. Diablos rose up with both swords and placed them back where he had gotten them from. Harry watched the man do this, and then said:

"Did you travel somewhere with me with Arsenic and Odium?"

Diablos looked at him.

"Yes, I actually did," he said and came back to Harry. "Two times."

"I don't remember that."

"I know. At first, you did. But now… they're a bit hidden I suppose. Like many of one's childhood memories are."

"But not yours."

"Not from this time, no but from my first time," Diablos said. "Here, I was fully grown mentally. Or maybe not fully but I was old enough to remember. I was a bit detached in the beginning but that was because I was too small in body to be able to sense where Arsenic and Odium were."

"Didn't they find you?"

Diablos grew silent for a bit. He then turned to Harry and gave him a somewhat stiff smile.

"Odium spent years in prison," the man said. "He was caught and in his disoriented state they just threw him into a cell and locked the door."

"Did they take care of him?"

"No."

"That meant he didn't get any food! How did he survive?"

"He's died once," Diablos said. "For some reason, I came here in a child's body while he did not age. He spent… he was there until I was sixteen years old in this time, which meant he was in a cell for fourteen years."

Harry stared at Diablos.

"Fourteen years?" he whispered. "That's… that's cruel."

"He doesn't speak much of it," Diablos said. "Just that it was boring, and lonely. He only had memories as company."

"What about Arsenic?"

"She lost her memories for some time," Diablos said and sat down on the floor next to Harry. "She gained them back when I was… fourteen. She had spent those years not remembering in a hospital. They felt my presence when I was seven, true, but neither was there to actually see me. Arsenic could not even understand whose presence she felt. "

"Did they come for you once they were free?"

"… No."

"Why not?"

Diablos looked down.

"They thought I didn't know," he finally said. "They thought I didn't have any memories of them, or my past life."

"But you had."

"Yes. So first thing after I graduated Hogwarts was to travel and seek them up before going to Italy."

"Was it a good reunion?" Harry asked, scooting closer to his uncle.

"It… it's almost the only time I've seen Odium cry tears of joy," Diablos said. "Arsenic just held us. We were her little brothers. I was their brat. I was their treasure, their reason for living. I guess I still am."

Harry leaned into his uncle, and Diablos let him.

-

Harry hugged his uncle tightly and looked at him.

"You be careful," he warned.

"Yes, I will be," Diablos said with a smile. "I now have those two practically living with me."

He jerked his head to Odium and Arsenic.

"It's warmer than North pole," Odium said with a shrug.

"You don't even feel the cold!" Diablos snapped.

Odium pouted and the children laughed.

-

Harry spent the ride to Hogwarts to explain to Luna, Neville and Theodore about his uncle, the others sitting and listening to him. He did not mention as many details but enough so they could know.

"Wow. This is a lot to take in," Neville said as he leaned back in his seat.

"I know," Harry said. "I've barely gotten used to it."

"Luna?" Hermione asked.

The girl was staring out into nothingness, and then she said:

"That explains the dreams."

"What dreams?" Harry asked.

"I used to dream about Diablos, but he looked younger, and we were always fighting a war," Luna said dreamily. "His eyes were so sad, his face worn despite his young age… the dreams always ended with me dying."

"Dia never said… what happened to you… in his time," Harry said.

"I think everyone died," Luna said and looked at teen. "Otherwise… I think he would have stayed. He wouldn't have left anyone. All of us died for the war, and he left that world to fight a new war."

"You seem to know him very well, but you've barely met him," Fred said.

"Not in this form I haven't," Luna said and looked at the redhead. "But once, we knew each other. Sometimes… that survives. Perhaps."

-

Dumbledore felt something had changed during the holidays and he glanced over at Harry from time to time. The time was running out, he had to get Harry under his control. He had to kill Diablos. There were so many things he had to do he did not know where to start.

Getting rid of Diablos was number one priority, so he might as well start there. That meant killing that blasted house-elf as well. She was getting on his nerves. She was doing her job too well. Just a moment or two, get her attention somewhere else.

Suddenly he felt a shiver run down his spine and something was deeply _wrong_.

-

**Meanwhile, Potter Manor**

**Florence, Italy**

Voldemort and Lucius had been promised to be in Diablos' library when an unknown man walked inside. They felt a surge of power coming from him, darkness in the core and Voldemort felt it was so alike his own.

The man had dark, brown hair that ran down his chest and startling clear blue eyes, dressed in dark blue robes. He was quite tall and a bit on the thin side. And then they saw it. He wore a necklace around his neck. _Tom's soul._

"How does it feel?" Arsenic asked as she walked in.

"Still a bit stiff" Tom replied, "but I like it. Finally I have a body!"

"Lovely," she agreed. "Now, Diablos has made sure there is a room free for you but do you want to stay?"

"I have nowhere else to go," Tom said. "Besides, I've been teasing him for a while; where's the fun in stopping?"

She snorted and Odium walked inside.

"Oh… hi, Tom," he said absently. "Arsenic, do you know where Diablos put my book?"

"Probably in his bedroom," she replied. "Alright, let's go and do the final adjustments on the body."

-

Harry decided to ignore Dumbledore's staring and instead focusing on his studies. Divination had been more fun if not Trelawney had used her and Harry's time to predict someone close to him would die before the summer break started. First time he had believed it, but after ten times with ten different deaths he was growing a bit aggravated by it. Draco had taken as habit to pretend seeing something in the crystal ball to get her focus on something else, or Neville, as the Slytherins and Gryffindors had this class together, 'accidently' broke something. Hermione had not chosen Divination, and instead she had Arithmancy at this time.

Lavender and Parvati always glared at them when they interrupted Trelawney, but none of them paid much attention to the two.

Ancient Runes was much more fun and Harry now knew that most books Diablos did not want him looking into had Ancient Runes instead of titles. He recognized some runes he had seen on the walls in their home as protection runes, and some that Bill had explained to him. Draco, Hermione, Padma and Theodore were also taking the class which made it all much funnier.

Muggles Studies was interesting and to his and Hermione's surprise Draco had taken it too. When asked, the blonde had just shrugged and told them it was time he learned some Muggle stuff too.

"So life's good?"

"If Dumbledore weren't in it, yeah," Harry replied and looked at Fred.

"Well, we just have to ignore him I guess," Fred replied. "We're good at ignoring people, aren't we Gred?"

"Absolutely, Forge."

"You two never change."

"What would be the fun in that?!" they exclaimed.

-

Diablos felt a growing sense of annoyance as the weeks passed by, turning January to February with no peaceful days. Each day brought something poisonous into his home, which Arsenic and Dora cleared out right away and told the right people about it, leaving the breakfast late with only about ten minutes but the sheer fact they had to sort _everything_ out from poison made him slightly irritated.

Tom had settled in comfortably into his house, posing as an old friend if anyone asked. Which not very many did. Most of the people that came into his manor already knew who Tom was.

"You look depressed today."

He groaned lightly as Arsenic's hands came to massage his tense shoulders and he let his head drop a bit.

"What's wrong, dear?" she asked, kneading away the tense spots.

"Dumbledore," he muttered. "The man's existence is aggravating my very core and soul."

"We'll get rid of him soon," she said. "We promised them, didn't we?"

"It's only right this time's Voldemort gets rid of him," Diablos said.

"But we'll help him do that," she murmured. "Won't we, Odium?"

"I suppose we will," the man said as he walked inside. "Tom is playing with the crystal ball again."

"Great, another annoyance," Diablos moaned and let his head down on the table. "Arsenic, punish him."

"With pleasure!" she said and rushed out to do just that. Diablos remained in his position. He felt Odium sit down next to him and the man's arm around him, pulling him up and closer.

"Hungry?" the man asked.

"Dora is doing her best," Diablos said with a tired sigh. "But everything was just oozing with Basilisk venom and various blood-potions."

"I think me and Arsenic have to do something about it soon," the man said. "We are supposed to look after you."

"I'm not a child," Diablos said.

"We know that. We still want to take care of you," Odium said.

"I have a question."

"Go on."

"How did it feel… to be in that cell?"

Odium looked at him for a long time, and then said:

"Lonely. I retreated… into myself. I sought out the good memories, and played them all over again. I began to live in them."

"How did you get out?"

"They opened the door, thought I was dead and was about to lower me down into the earth when I showed them I certainly was not dead," Odium said. "Scared the crap out of them by the way."

"Oh, I can't imagine why," Diablos muttered.

Odium chuckled.

"Why did you want to know?" he asked.

"Just curious," Diablos said and rose up. "See what you were doing while I was having a great time."

"You didn't know," Odium said and rose up as well. "Don't feel guilty for having a good life for once. You didn't have one before. You didn't have a childhood before. Now you finally had a chance, and I'm happy your worry for us didn't spoil it."

Diablos looked at him.

"Yeah, but I feel guilty about it now."

"Don't," the man said and grabbed his friend. "Don't be. If you are, I'll beat the crap out of you until you won't feel it anymore."

"Like you can do that," Diablos huffed.

"Hn. Try me."

-

Winter began to pass into spring, and Harry saw the changes with some relief. The summer was closing in, allowing much more time to learn more about his uncle, about Odium and Arsenic, the life and hell they had left behind. He wanted to know everything. He felt the memories Diablos had showed them was just a mere touch to the surface. What things had the man seen? What had he lived through? He must have survived most of his friends.

Harry could not even try to think what pain that was, to loose one thing after the other and not being able to do a damn thing about it.

He looked down at the two-way mirror and held it close. He had just finished speaking with his uncle yet he wanted more. However, it had been time for Diablos to start a class, but the teen did not have anything for the moment. He only waited for dinner. His friends were spread out, in classes, their common rooms or the library but he had felt like staying in his room.

Both Coran and Hedwig were with him and he shifted between stroking Coran's head and feeling Hedwig's soft feathers. The owl hooted softly to him, nuzzling his hand each time and Coran hissed in pleasure. The snake was in his lap, the owl on his shoulder and he himself was on his bed, back against the headboard.

He had no homework to do except in potions but he and Draco were going to do it together the next day, which was a Saturday. They had decided to do it with Severus within shouting distance so the man could help them if they had any troubles.

So now he was just lazing around. He gently moved Coran and crept up until he could get out a photo album. He laid down on his stomach and opened it, letting the snake slither up on his back.

The first photo was of himself and Diablos, the first ever with the two since Diablos had started taking care of him. It was at Christmas the same year his parents had died.

Harry looked at his child-self giggle, clapping his hands, too young to understand his parents were gone while Diablos sat straight in the air, barely a move in that stone face, hands holding Harry gently but secure.

He moved onto the next one which was of himself, Diablos, Salerna and Cissi. This time Cissi was holding him, waving at the camera with him with Salerna with one arm around Diablos' shoulders, the white-haired man grinning widely with Diablos allowing himself a half-smile, arms crossed. So different from now.

The teen went through the pages until it came to when he was six and blood-adopted. He looked a lot more like Diablos. He liked it and even Diablos seemed a bit more relaxed. The man had been awkward with him in the beginning but as time passed Diablos found his way to take care of Harry successfully.

Harry sighed and continued to flip through the pictures. He had begged during one of the last days at the holiday for Diablos to put together an album with photos.

Just before they left for the train to take the children back to Hogwarts, Diablos had stuck him an album. Harry had looked it through ten times but never tired of it. Diablos had chosen all the photos, all varied in age and scenarios.

He liked the last photos the best though. Diablos had included a few images from his time as a child.

Harry slipped to the photo of Diablos along with maybe a two-year old James, the older boy sitting in a chair with James in his lap. It was funny to see Diablos as a child. At this photo, his legs barely reached the floor, and he was dressed in shorts, sandals and a T-shirt. It was obviously summer and James had short and a shirt on him as well, grinning widely at the camera. Diablos had a small smile on his face, looking uncertain.

Harry looked at the image of his grandparents next. Mary had a wonderful smile, John this aura of seriousness yet playfulness around him even on a photo. Both were dressed for an outing, she in a knee-long skirt and a blouse, and he in simple pants and a short-sleeved shirt, his arm around her waist and she waving at the camera.

They looked happy. Harry stroke with a finger along the faces. He wondered if Diablos had ever looked that happy.

-

"Dia?"

"Yes?" the man said, surprised to have Harry calling twice in the same day.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"… Pardon me?"

"Have you ever been in love?" the teen repeated.

"Harry, if you're looking for advice, I'm hardly the right guy for it."

"Silly! I'm not, I just want to know if you've ever been in love!"

"Oh, I see. No, I've never had the pleasure," the man replied.

"Never?"

"Never ever."

"Not even the tiniest crush?"

Diablos thought for a while, then raised his eyebrows.

"Nope."

"You serious?" Harry asked.

"No, I'm Diablos dear Harry."

"Dia!"

"I know, I just couldn't help it."

"Come on!"

"No, I've never been in love, Harry. What brought this on?"

"I just watched a photo of… grandma and grandpa."

"Oh, you did?"

"Yeah, and then I wondered if… you ever had looked that happy."

"You know I'm not good at expressing myself," Diablos said.

"Yeah."

"But that doesn't mean I'm not happy," the raven-haired man said and looked at his nephew. "You know I am."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said. "But seriously, you didn't even have a childish crush on like a teacher in primary?"

"I didn't know _you_ had one."

"Dia!" Harry shrieked and Diablos laughed.

-

"OWLs are hard work," Fred moaned as he fell down in a chair in the library.

"Tell me about it," George groaned as he slumped down next to his brother. "Well, it's over now. Only to wait for the doom."

"I'm glad we're living with Bill," Fred said. "He won't shout as much."

"Just a tiny bit," the other said as Harry looked at the two. "How were your exams, Harry?"

"Fine," he replied. "I think it went really well."

"Well, happy to know it went well for someone," Fred muttered. "What about you guys?"

He directed this to Hermione, Draco, Padma, Neville and Luna. Luna was staring at the roof but Hermione said:

"I think I got one answer wrong on the Muggle Studies…"

"You're still going to have like 110 percent right!" Draco exclaimed.

"I should have known it all!" she protested.

"Honestly!" the blonde said and let his head fall onto the table. "For your information, it went fine for me."

"I think… it didn't go so well on potions," Neville said.

"I'm sure it did!" Harry said. "And if it didn't, I'm sure Severus will offer you help next year!"

"You think?"

"Sure, why wouldn't he?"

"I'm a Gryffindor for starters."

"Let me get my lost puppy-look, and he will help you," the raven-haired teen said with a grin and Neville had to smile at that.

-

"So what's all this?"

Diablos looked up at Arsenic as she stroke a finger across the book's cover, then she looked at him.

"Paranoia," he replied. "On my side, of course."

"Of course," she repeated and sat down. "Does it help if I say I feel worried too?"

"Yes, a bit."

"Then we're three."

Odium came up to them.

"School is soon ending," he said, "but something… more evil than us lies dormant in Hogwarts. Not for long though. It's awakening."

"Yeah, it even has a name and that's Albus Dumbledore," Diablos said.

"Come on, he can't be like the Dumbledore from our time," Arsenic said. "Nothing is that evil."

"Trust me," the raven-haired man said and got up, "he's on a good way on the road there."

-

Dumbledore had to do something, and that fast. Time was running out. For everything. Each of his plans during these years that Harry had been at Hogwarts had failed, now he had only one plan left to play. Not full-out war, not some heroic fight between himself and Diablos or Voldemort.

He knew Voldemort was back. He had a nagging feeling the man was. It was annoying to have Voldemort returned, however, there was nothing he could do about it. But the headmaster was going to do this.

He was going to trick Diablos into coming to Hogwarts, and slay him.

-

Harry looked at the letter and knew his friends were watching.

"What is it?" Draco finally asked.

"Dia," he said. "He says he doesn't want me to ride the train."

"Is he coming to pick you up instead?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, he also mentions he doesn't want any of us riding on the train," the teen said. "He's already spoken to your parents and Draco's. Lucius and Narcissa are going to bring you back to your family."

"What about Neville, Padma, the twins?"

"Bill's coming for the twins. Neville is riding the train with Padma, I don't know why," Harry said and folded the letter. "But get this, Dia wasn't coming and getting me here but at Draco's place. He had tried getting a free day but he had to sit at some stupid exam as he put it. Instead Voldemort's coming."

"He's coming?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah, he, Lucius, Narcissa, Sirius and Remus. And Bill of course."

"What is he so worried about?" Hermione wondered.

"I don't know. But if it's enough to make Dia this paranoid… it's bad."

-

Harry, Draco, Hermione and the Weasley twins were instructed to wait on the school grounds to be picked up and said goodbye to their friends as the others moved to the carriages so they could get to Hogsmeade and the train.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Harry said.

"I know," Hermione replied. "Me too. Why couldn't we wait on them outside the grounds?"

"I don't know, here's safer I guess," the teen said.

"Not for long."

They all turned at hearing the voice and all recognized the disguise of Voldemort.

"Hurry," he said tightly. They looked behind him and saw Dumbledore come walking.

"I'm so not meeting with him," Harry said and the children let Voldemort push them onto the gates.

"Wait!" Dumbledore called.

"We are on a tight schedule I'm afraid," the Dark Lord said and looked at the man. "If you excuse us, headmaster…"

"I will not… Voldemort."

They were suddenly surrounded and Voldemort looked around. Order members.

"Let me go!"

"Sirius!" Harry called out, seeing his godfather struggle against Moody.

"There is no escape, Voldemort," Dumbledore said maliciously. "Give us the children, and I'll kill you quickly."

"Give you the children?" the man said. "I rather eat my own tongue."

"That… can be arranged." Harry saw the crazy glint in the old man's eyes. He got out the two-way mirror and held it, hard.

-

Diablos could during class suddenly bolt the classroom, as such the students were used to that. But it was rare he left during an exam.

"Diablos?"

He turned and saw Maria.

"You're supposed to watch an exam, remember?" she said.

"I know, but I have to go."

"Go where?" she asked, worried when she saw his tense posture.

"I just have to go," Diablos said. "I managed to call Miles, an old student of mine. He's good at Dark Arts, he's watching the exam right now."

Maria was about to protest, something, but then she stopped.

"Be careful," she finally said. He nodded shortly and ran down the corridor, rounding a corner and his footsteps died out.

-

Dumbledore advanced on them and Voldemort took out his wand.

"How many can you take out before we take you out?" he asked gently. "Don't be foolish, Tom."

"Don't… call me that," the Dark Lord hissed.

"Don't think about calling for help either," Dumbledore said as he saw Voldemort preparing a summon. "No one will come. This place is completely warded from Death Eaters."

"Dumbledore, let them go!" Sirius screamed. Remus was fighting against his restraints too but Moody just laughed at them.

"Harry, it's time for you to come with me," the headmaster said.

"I rather drown!" Harry shouted. "You can go to hell!"

"Oh, that's where I'm preparing to send him little one."

The bodiless voice echoed around them and suddenly a red beaming light coming against Dumbledore, all moving away to escape it. The spell exploded against the ground and smoke erupted.

When it all cleared with a strong wind from Kingsley Shacklebolt's wand, they all gaped.

Around the group of children and Voldemort stood an additional five people, wands out and ready.

"Diablos!" Dumbledore shouted in glee.

The man's eyes were like stone as he watched the headmaster, not a muscle in his face moved. He did not give Dumbledore a greeting.

"Just as I planned, I knew you would show up if little Harry was in trouble!" he said with a cackle.

"Oh? I planned this too," Diablos said and Dumbledore's smile fell. "I knew you would go for it. I could feel your evil even in Italy, and as such, I took certain measurements. For one, Voldemort's involvement…"

Here the Dark Lord gave a shrug and a sheepish grin. The children stared even as Odium shook his head and Salerna had a second look to see if he really was seeing what he was seeing. Then he turned his attention back to the Order members, also shaking his head.

"Second, Bill is working through your little wards as we speak," Diablos said, "with the help of Hogwarts of course. She wishes for no one's blood except yours. Isn't it funny, even the very castle you supposedly rule over wants you gone. And with Bill is Voldemort's Death Eaters, all ready for a game just like in the past."

Dumbledore was fuming.

"Kill them!" he screamed.

"Arsenic, Odium, the children!" the tallest of the five-man group shouted, and they all realized it was Tom, he had been the bodiless voice. Both turned towards the group and Arsenic shouted out something, guttural sounds easing its way out of her throat.

Suddenly they were by the lake with the two.

"Listen, I will place a ward over you so that you are safe," Odium said even as they heard curses being thrown and the light of spells speeding across the ground. "No one can come inside unless I allow it, and should hold."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked. "Why can't we just leave?"

"No," Arsenic said to him. "Harry dear… today we are going to kill Albus."

"Why?" he asked. "I mean… you've fought against him so much…"

"That's why we're going to kill him," the woman said. "We know what he will turn into if left alone. He's already a monster, we can't allow him to become a near-immortal monster like last time."

"Stay here," Odium said. "We will be fine." He finished the ward and suddenly the two were running towards the now full battlefield. They all stood quiet for a bit, then Harry said:

"Well… at least Dia didn't slash Dumbledore up while we were watching."

"Lucky us," Hermione said and sat down on a stone. "Come on, let's sit down, we can't do anything anyway."

"I want to watch."

"Why?" Draco asked.

"I need to see that Dia's fine."

They could see the man move around, his wand out of sight, he used wandless magic and was swinging two swords around, blood falling around him as he whirled. Harry felt the gentle but steady pulse of Diablos' magic, latched onto that feeling and put a hand against the invisible barrier. He still held the two-way mirror.

-

Bellatrix walked back and forth, wringing her wand so hard it flew sparks from it as she looked at the battlefield, watching their lord's movements. Voldemort was doing just fine, having done nothing but train himself the last year. She also saw Tom, he was a bit stiff in his movements but Odium hovered near him, never letting the former Dark Lord get too far away.

Arsenic's laughter was not long from Bellatrix's as she ploughed her way through the Order members. Diablos was the one who looked like he took it easy, more often than not moving in sync with his friends Salerna.

"Can you stop pacing?" Bill panted. "You're making more nervous than I already am."

"Sorry," she said and stopped. Rodolphus was there and put an arm around her shoulders.

"It's okay," he said. "We'll get there."

"Arsenic and Odium have brought the children to the lake," Lucius said. "I can see them. They should be fine on their own for a few more minutes."

Bill chose to ignore them all, chanting under his breath to the wards, breaking them apart slowly. He felt a sudden rush, a strong wind coming from the castle and the wards sprung open, as did the gates.

"We're through!" he shouted and within moments the full force were moving inside.

-

"Death Eaters!"

The children heard the call and turned. They saw Lucius, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastan amongst the others, all shouting spells. Bill came behind, closing the gates and muttering a quick warding before dashing over to them.

"You all alright?" he asked once he arrived.

"Yes, are you?" Fred said, looking worriedly at the pale face of his brother.

"Taking down a ward with the strength of an ancient castle gets to you," he said. "We'll have reinforcements soon."

"We?"

"What are you doing?!"

They heard Dumbledore's shout and their eyes widened as they saw what happened.

Severus, Flitwick and McGonagall had broken from the Order's side and now ran over to the other.

"We fight for what is right?" Flitwick piped up with.

"And what is right does not include you, Albus," Minerva said.

"Our loyalty is not to you," the potions master finished. "Arsenic, let's do it!"

She pulled out three potions as a response along with an empty jar, pouring the three into the jar and quickly closing the lid while Severus did the same. The Order members drew back, towards the castle and Dumbledore shouted:

"You can't get to us inside of Hogwarts!"

"Diablos, time for you to show them whose side the girl stands on!" Arsenic shouted as the mixed potions inside the jar began to bubble and fizzle.

Diablos sheathed one of the swords and held out a hand towards the castle. He began muttering under his breath, and as a response Hogwarts surged.

They all gaped when the Entrance doors banged close and the bricks moved over the windows, making the castle impossible to get inside off. They felt her amusement at Dumbledore's rage, and her voice, drifting across the grounds gentle but firm:

"_No longer shall you stay and poison this world."_

Dumbledore turned and saw Diablos deeply focused on letting Hogwarts' voice be heard and he raised his wand. An unknown spell flew from it, directly against Diablos.

He looked up but too late. The spell hit him square in the chest and his body was thrown backwards, tumbling across the ground before coming to a stop, limbs lifeless and in wrong positions.

"Diablos!" Odium and Arsenic screamed. They saw Tom's eyes widen, then darken. He turned to Dumbledore who was laughing, and screamed in Parseltongue all curses he knew, promises of a slow death only Voldemort, Harry and Coran could understand.

"_He's really pissed,"_ the snake managed. Harry did not listen.

"Bill, let me out!" he pleaded. "Let me out, I have to go to Dia, let me out!"

"No, Harry, I can't, I'm sorry," Bill said. "Only Odium can let you out, and he wouldn't let you risk your life. Diablos would never have wanted that."

"He's hurt!" Harry shouted.

"I know!" Bill replied. "I know, Harry, but you can't help him, not now. Let others help him."

It was like the battle had come to a stand-still because of Diablos' fall and now Voldemort's side glared at Dumbledore's side.

"Join the right side!" he shouted at them. "Your friend Diablos Potter has fallen, taking away a good part of the evil here."

"Have I fallen? Yes, fallen literally but not in the sense as I'm dead."

Diablos moved his broken arm with a groan, cracking it back to place and felt the fine control of his magic begin to slip.

"Arsenic… Odium… get them away," he called out.

As one, the two brought a powerful wind that threw all the Death Eaters, Voldemort and Salerna backwards. Tom was not affected.

"Stay back!" Arsenic shouted as they closed in again. "You don't want to get in the way."

Diablos began to rise slowly, blood dripping from his mouth. He licked it up, feeling the coppery taste in this throat and moaning at it. He inhaled deeply, feeling the scent and felt dizzy. Straightening up brought a crack from his spine and a nerve-wracking pain but still he made no sign to let Dumbledore's side know. They seemed to know anyway, staring at him in shock.

"The spell is meant to break every bone in a human's body!" Dumbledore shouted.

"Yeah, I noticed," Diablos groaned. "Lucky I'm not a normal human."

He felt the blood boil in his body and took a deep breath. He could not release all out yet, but he could release a good deal of it. Slowly he removed the robes, leaving him in shirt and slacks, knowing the shirt was going to be wasted anyway. He had dropped both swords but they would come if he needed them.

He dipped his head back, face against the sky and Dumbledore let out a mocking laugh.

"Should I be frightened of you and your powers? You can heal, that's all!" he called out. "You think I scare easily?"

"Do you remember that day, in your office," Diablos said, "when you saw the flames?"

Dumbledore remembered.

"The rage inside of me that made you fall to your knees," Diablos continued and looked down at the headmaster with a crazed grin, "_is nothing compared to this, old man_."

The magic exploded out.

-

The others did not know what kind of power he possessed, not even Salerna. But Arsenic, Odium and Tom felt nervous. Diablos' powers were no joke. There was no gentleness in them, no mercy… sometimes it made him forget who was friend and who was enemy.

The light was blinding them all, a powerful wind sweeping over them. This much power, yet it had not been enough to kill their Dumbledore in their time. But it was not Diablos' full power. They had never seen Diablos' full power, they knew he would never allow himself to go that far. With the full power, Diablos would kill anything.

As the light disappeared, Arsenic and Odium felt sentimental when they saw him. Arsenic felt the scales become more visible and allowed it. Razor-sharp teeth grew in her mouth and her eyes became slit. Odium let the ashen colour of his skin break through, showing he was a real Undead.

The others stared at the sight, and Dumbledore felt his heart in his throat.

The flames were stronger this time as they were burning from Diablos' eyes, his hair even wilder than before and tattoos on his arms and back, the shirt burnt away. If they looked closely, there were perhaps shadows behind him, maybe in the shape of wings.

Diablos took a deep breath.

"I don't let many people see me like this," he said and looked at Dumbledore. "I never like to use these powers. They are… unnecessary. Too strong."

"Then why?" the headmaster asked as he backed. The Order members looked scared. Moody and a few others had fled. Diablos scoffed at them in his mind.

"Because… I can make your last moments so much more painful with this," Diablos said and stretched out a hand. He would let Voldemort finish it. But the time between… was his time to make Dumbledore pay. To make the old geezer realize how hopeless everything was. Every try to make Harry step over to his side, every single poisonous thing brought into Diablos' home, every word and lie that had come out his mouth… hopeless.

The Order members jerked as suddenly Dumbledore screamed of pain and dropped his wand. Diablos' eyes widened a bit and with magic alone, he hurled the fragile body of the aged man against the unforgivable walls of Hogwarts.

"Take care of his little group of wanna-be-fighters," he growled at the others. "Voldemort?"

"Yes?" the Dark Lord said.

"You can kill him," Diablos said, "when I'm finished. Only when I'm finished. Deal?"

"Deal," Voldemort said and inclined his head.

"I want a part of him too," Arsenic piped up.

"Don't think you can have any if I can't," Odium growled.

"Freaks! They're freaks!" a woman in the Order screamed, pointing at the two time-travellers. "See?! She's a hybrid, and he's… he's dead!"

"Thank you for the information but we already know that!" both screamed back at her. "You want to drop dead?!"

"Want to?" Diablos asked as he walked towards where Dumbledore was. "Since when have either of you cared about a victims' opinion?"

They both looked at each other.

"Never?" Arsenic said.

"So… why are we staying 'you want to'?" Odium said. "Let's just kill the bitch."

The Death Eaters ran forward as the Order members did but Diablos took it easy on his way to Dumbledore. Any tries to stop him and the people either was thrown away or quickly disposed off. Finally he stood in front of Dumbledore and said:

"You've made a lot of mistakes in your life. But the biggest one was trying to make Harry into something he's not."

"Darkness… will not win," Dumbledore gasped out.

"There is no such thing as complete victory," Diablos said. "There will always be a struggle. There will always be war, because we're too stupid to realize things are good as they are. Plus… where there is light, is always darkness. The darkness follow the light, always."

"You evil creature…"

"Right back at you," the raven-haired man said.

"You are killing me for your own pleasure, for your own selfish needs!"

"No," Diablos said. "First of all, I am not the one to kill you. But yes, I am stopping you. Not for my own selfish needs, or for my own pleasure. I do it for my friends. For my family. Hell, even for Voldemort because you see… I'm not from this time."

Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"I come from another place," he said and smiled, "where I was your tool."

"You're Harry Potter?!"

"'Was' is the correct thing to say. Harry Potter is… he's good," Diablos said. "I'm not. I'm a cold killer. And I'm here for revenge. You may not believe it, but you are on a path that will lead to destruction."

"I do it in the name of the light!"

"So in the name of the light you drown yourself in black rituals?!" Diablos hissed into his ear, feeling Dumbledore tremble with pain and added pressure with the help of his mind. A headache was coming but he did not care. It was worth it. "In the name of the light you slaughter children? In the name of the light… you destroy villages in your search for evil?"

"Sacrifices must be made," Dumbledore groaned out.

"Sacrifices?" the raven-haired man said. He willed the flames away so the headmaster could look him in the eyes. "Sacrifices?! A five-year old boy ripped apart by your own bare hands, is that right?! A small girl burned alive because she was born in the wrong family?! Children raped by your side for pleasure, and they should just bow and thank you immensely?! Don't fool with me!"

Dumbledore opened his eyes and nearly screamed.

Diablos' eyes were completely red now, the blue edges having fled and where there was white once now laid black. His teeth were sharp and his mouth drawn back in a snarl.

"Now…" Diablos said, unnaturally calm. "I have something I want to give you. I've carried it for too many years."

"Really?" Dumbledore managed.

"All the pain…" the man said, reaching up with a hand and planted it against Dumbledore's head, palm against the forehead. "All the fear and hate and disgust of every person you have destroyed. All in one moment… all for you." He felt Arsenic and Odium latching onto his mind, join their misery with all the misery already there, adding a notch to the agony and pain.

In the next moment, Dumbledore screamed for all he was worth.

-

The inhuman scream gave them all shivers down their spines but the Death Eaters pushed on, did not let the scream distract them while the Light let it, and therefore people fell each second. Voldemort walked up to Diablos to see him step back from Dumbledore, the aged man still screaming, the sheer pleasure on the raven-haired man's face enough to make the Dark Lord nervous.

"You alright?" he asked as he stepped up against Diablos.

"Not alright… but better," Diablos said. "I wish… I could do that to the Dumbledore from our time."

"He's dead isn't he?" Voldemort asked. "That Dumbledore?"

"I don't know," Diablos said and closed his eyes. "Maybe. Maybe not."

The Dark Lord raised his wand once Dumbledore came back to the present world, the pain making his body twitch.

"Was it true all you said?" Voldemort asked. "Most of it, the rape?"

"… Yes." Then Diablos turned away.

The Dark Lord looked at Dumbledore who was now awake enough to see him.

"Time to go, Albus," Voldemort said gently.

"No!" the headmaster gasped.

"Avada Kedavra!"

-

The silence was complete as Voldemort let the body of Albus Dumbledore fall to the ground. The Order members that had not fled were dead. Most of the Death Eaters were fine, Severus and Arsenic moving to help them. Hogwarts opened up, the Entrance doors opened once more and Poppy came out. She had prepared for injured people.

"All injured, up in the healing wing!" she called out. "Everyone! Oh, that's a nasty break of the leg, Mr Lestrange. A stretcher!"

Rabastan wore a stunned look as she quickly conjured one and pulled him up on it but in the next moment she had it propelling towards the Infirmary, followed by Rodolphus and Bellatrix who had to support her husband, Rodolphus limping and holding a hand to his side.

Odium released the wards with a gentle wave of his hand and Harry began to run.

"Dia!"

Diablos, now free from the tattoos and strange eyes, pulled on his robes before walking to greet his nephew. Harry's fingers dug into the back of the robes, Coran hissing to them both and then the teen said:

"Is he gone?"

"Yeah," Diablos said. "He's gone. Come on, let's go to the Infirmary for a bit."

When they arrived Diablos' headache was making him stumble a bit and grind the heel of his palm into his forehead, and immediately Arsenic came up with a potion.

"Bottom up," she demanded, and he took it without complaint. "Honestly, have you no sense of restraint? That was a eighty percent release!"

"Eighty?" the Dark Lord said.

"Yes, I released eighty percent of my powers."

"So that wasn't even your full powers?!" Voldemort exclaimed. "Merlin, how strong are you?!"

"I'm not that strong," the man said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "No, Poppy, I'm fine."

"Like I believe that for a moment," Poppy said. "Arsenic gave you the potion?"

"Yes, she did."

"How do you know about Arsenic?" Sirius asked. "I'm fairly certain Diablos kept quiet about them."

"Sometimes it happens," Poppy said before she insisted on conjuring an ice-pack for the headache. After getting Diablos to hold it against one temple she turned back to Sirius and continued, "Memories… from another time comes to you. When Diablos started Hogwarts at the age of eleven, when I saw him alone for the first time, I was… overwhelmed so to speak… of memories."

"Memories?" Sirius asked but Hermione gaped.

"Miss Granger has caught up I see," Poppy said. "Memories of my time in Diablos' dimension. I believe young Miss Lovegood has the same."

"She dreamt about Diablos, fighting a war, and in each dream she died!" Hermione said.

"Yes, it was a shame," Poppy said and shook her head. "A true shame she passed away. Such a sweet girl, never wanting any harm to anyone. They killed her like she was nothing, tore her apart and hung her up like a trophy."

"Can we please not talk about it?" Diablos added. "She's alive now, and on her way home."

"Right," Poppy said. "Anyway, that's the whole of it. I've known who Diablos really is for a long time."

"So that's why you know so much about him?" Harry asked.

"No," she said with a laugh. "No, the ones who knows him best are Arsenic, Odium, Tom and you."

"Me?" the teen said, confused.

"You know what he needs when we have no clue," Poppy said. "And of course, when you're not there to give it to him, Dora is."

"Yeah… it's like she reads our minds," Harry said with a grin.

"Now, if you excuse me," she said and bustled off to Rabastan.

-

Harry felt a joy he never thought he would feel. He could simply not sit still for a moment. He raced between the library and living room, up to his room and back down again, amusing Diablos and Tom endlessly, the only two others in the manor. Arsenic had gone home for a bit and Odium to collect the few personal things he had at the North Pole before settling in with the Potters.

"How much sugar did you give him now again?" Tom asked after Harry had run out a fourth time and they heard him race up the stairs.

"I didn't give him anything, blame Dora," Diablos replied.

"She's evil," Tom concluded.

"You're evil," the man pointed out.

"Point."

When Harry entered the fifth time Diablos managed to catch the teen and Harry fell down on the couch.

"Harry, it's nearly midnight, let's say we head for bed?" he asked.

"What? No, I'm not tired!"

"He wasn't the one fighting, despite that he's the one with the adrenaline still pumping," Tom said with a grin.

"Harry, didn't you promise to meet up with your friends bright and early tomorrow at nine?"

"I did…"

"That means, bed now," Diablos said. "Plus I'm tired, and I can't really sleep with you running around the manor."

"I will turn in for the night as well," Tom said and rose up. "I'll see you two in the morning."

"Night," Harry said.

"Good night," Diablos said. "Come on now."

"Carry me."

"Harry, there is no possibility in the world that I can carry you. You're getting a tad too big for me."

Harry wound his arms around Diablos' waist and clung on.

"Harry, what is it?"

"When you fell… when Dumbledore threw that curse on you… I got so scared, Dia. Did he really break your bones?"

"Not all of them," the red-eyed man said. "Nearly all. I quick-healed them."

"How can you do that?"

"Training," Diablos said. "It hurts like a bitch though."

"You swore."

"I do swear, Harry."

"Can I swear too?"

"No."

"Meanie."

"Didn't we agree on that one when you were seven?"

"_Cattivo_."

"Calling me evil on Italian is not really that dangerous."

"Hey, I just figured out a new nickname for you!"

"You did?" Diablos said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah! _Nato con la camicia_."

"Can't we just stick to Dia?"

"Come on, you are a lucky devil!"

Diablos shook his head helplessly.

"Dia?"

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm turning fourteen this summer."

"That you are."

"I'm not really a child anymore."

"If you say so."

"But…"

"But what?"

Harry was quiet for a bit. Then he slowly got up and looked at his uncle. Diablos looked right back at him, blinking.

"Tell me something so I fall asleep," Harry said.

"… You're asking for a goodnight-story?" Diablos asked.

"It sounds ridiculous when you put it that way!" Harry shrieked.

"But it's true, isn't it?"

"Whatever! Will you do it or not?"

"Might as well indulge you. I'm in a good mood today."

"Yeah, because today Dumbledore died. How are they gonna write he died?"

"Lucius has claimed the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's little group of fighters, to be insane and not to listen to one word they say. Good thing, because Moody ran into the Ministry and told them to come here and cut off my head and that Voldemort was back."

"Was he thrown out?"

"Banished to ever come back," Diablos said. "I doubt he's in England anymore. And the written word says Dumbledore died fighting against the right thing, that his mind had been poisoned by his own greed. And what a surprise, no witnesses to say who really killed him."

Harry had to smile.

"What did you guys have to do for that?" he asked.

"Not much," Diablos said. "Just send Lucius for a chat with Rita Skeeter, a very nice lady in the _Daily Prophet_. Feed her a good story, and she latches onto that. Now, bed."

Harry pouted but followed Diablos up. He heard Dora shuffle around the rooms, switching off the lights. He jumped into his bed, already dressed for the night and saw Coran on his desk, not far from where Hedwig was resting. Both seemed to be asleep peacefully. Diablos sat down on the edge of the bed and said:

"Now, for a goodnight-story…"

"Dia!"

"Alright, alright, a story to… a story to lighten your dreams."

"Yeah right, that sounds even more ridiculous," Harry said and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, just a story," Diablos said. He kicked off his shoes and sat Indian-style on the bed. "Not a once-upon-a-time-story, don't worry about that, I don't have any."

"Good, 'cause I don't want to hear them."

Diablos thought for a minute, and wondered exactly what to tell. Maybe something about James and Lily; he had barely shared anything with Harry. He pulled forth all the good memories he had of James and smiled a bit.

"Not too long ago, a boy named James was born," he began and Harry's eyes widened even as a smile stretched on his nephew's face.

A peaceful story for a peaceful time.

End

* * *

And here ends _A Second Chance_, much to my regrets yet relief (I was having my own little angsty-moment when I realized it's taken me like two months to get the final chapter out). I have been far too occupied with the TV-series _Supernatural_ and my own things (I got four major ideas now, not good) as well as fanfiction-ideas (I have no idea what the count is, twenty?) to be writing on actual stories. But now this one is over.

Never to fear, there will come a sequel to this one, just not as long (It will stretch out over a year as I believe). I will post an author's note here when the first chapter of the sequel is posted, okay? Just so none of you miss it.

I hope I have brought you joy with this story, as I have enjoyed it very much during the months I've been writing on it.

Until another time (Hopefully soon),

Ja,

Tiro


	31. Author's update!

_Author's update!_

_Sequel to A Second Chance is now out, ladies and gentlemen! _

**Chapter of a Lost Future **

**Summary**: Sequel to A Second Chance. Diablos and the gang are back, this time for a last painful fight against a Dumbledore from a time when war the least of people's problems.

**Pairing/s**: None.

**Warnings**: Evil!Dumbledore, Gryffindor-bashing, siding with Voldemort-fic, time-travelling mentioned, violence and so on.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Harry Potter, but Diablos is kinda my own character. I morphed him into my own character. Plus I do own Salerna, his adoring wife Cissi, Orator and a few others.

**Go check it out!**

Ja,

Tiro


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